


Childhood's End

by AselianBloom (FlameBlossom)



Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: Childhood, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-31 01:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 35,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6449965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameBlossom/pseuds/AselianBloom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at how events may have played out after Hubert is adopted by Garrett Oswell, and how it affects Hubert and those around him. Told from Hubert and Garrett's perspective, and occasionally Raymond's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Familiar Clouds Fading Into the Distance

Hubert had gnawed on his bottom lip to the point where he could taste blood and they hadn't even left the port of Barona. Seagulls were crying overhead and could hear sailors grunting as they loaded and unloaded their cargo, but it all felt far away to him, almost as if it wasn't real. His hands were protectively held up in front of his chest as he stood at the railing of a boat built not for hauling cargo but for comfortable travel.

He might have been excited about the boat under normal circumstances. As things stood more he wished that he could run away. Granted, the physical act of leaving the boat and mixing in with the city crowd would have been easy enough. What happened after that was the real problem, and Hubert's conclusion was that none of the likely outcomes were desirable ones. At the moment there was nothing he wanted more than to be back in Lhant, maybe even out in Gryle's orchard picking apples along with Asbel even though that would end with a scolding. Asbel would have gotten the blame as it would have been his idea. They weren't supposed take any apples from Gryle's orchard because those were meant to be transported and sold in nearby towns, but Asbel had never cared much about the finer points of things. They were apples, they were ripe, and they were within arm's reach. Reasoning never seemed to reach the stages past that in the mind of his impulsive brother. If it was Asbel on the boat Hubert was certain that he would have ran. But Hubert wasn't Asbel, so he stayed put.

The salty smell of the ocean breeze made it painfully clear that his current surroundings were not Lhant. He stopped chewing when he sensed a droplet of blood trickle down his bottom lip. He hurriedly wiped if off and pressed a finger to the spot, realizing that it probably wouldn't be appropriate to start bleeding right next to your new adoptive father. This one, however, hadn't noticed because he was preoccupied with watching the bustling harbor and making sure that preparations for castoff were proceeding smoothly.

Hubert stole another nervous glance at the man whose attention still was focused elsewhere. Now that biting his lip was no longer an option Hubert redirected the nervous energy to his free right hand which he slipped into his pocket to retrieve a good luck charm that Asbel had given him earlier. It was a small bag filled with some sort of powder. He wasn't sure what it was, nor whether investigating the matter was safe, but it didn't matter at the moment. He closed his hand around the little pouch and tightened his grip on it to eventually relax it again, doing this over and over. It helped keep the emotions inside, though he wasn't sure if he'd be able to speak if his new father asked him a question. It was all too much. Countless questions were rushing through his mind. What had he done wrong? Why was he being sent to live in a foreign country with a man he barely knew? Why did Asbel get to stay in Lhant?

Garrett Oswell. That was about all he knew about the man - merely his name. The recollection of the talk he'd had with his father on the matter - his actual father that was - brought back a rush of feelings that caused him to feel sick. No longer was he to be a Lhant, but an Oswell. He focused on the small pouch in his right hand and gripped it even more tightly before he relaxed his grip again. This approach appeared to have stopped working as the torrent of emotion was rapidly growing inside of him and the world seemed to shrink to only the spot immediately in front of him. He soon couldn't bear to focus his eyes anywhere else than on the wooden boards in front of him because it was all too much. He stared at the planks as if his life depended on it and hoped fervently that his new father wouldn't attempt to speak to him.

He was granted his wish until the ship was outside the port and there wasn't as much to occupy Garrett's attention.

"Hubert, are you feeling unwell?"

Hubert felt his heart beat harder in his chest. He wasn't sure about how he was expected to answer the question. He couldn't tell his foster father that he hated the idea of the entire arrangement. The other option if he said yes was to pass it off as seasickness, but that wouldn't make sense as they had come from Lhant by boat without that presenting any problems. People also seemed to frequently ridicule him when he showed weakness, so it might be a bad idea solely for that reason. The best option then seemed to be denying that anything was amiss.

"N-no, I'm okay," he mumbled as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, gaze still fixed on the wooden planks in front of him.

"Are you certain?" Garrett asked. "It hardly appears that way."

Hubert felt his neck grow hot when Garrett kept pushing the issue. He had already tried his best to be convincing and there wasn't much more he could do. He elected to stay silent and still stare straight ahead, hoping that Garrett would drop the topic or that something would happen to steal away the man's attention.

* * *

 Garrett decided to drop the question, but for his own reasons. He had already picked up on the fact that the boy seemed to be a poor liar. Certainly a disadvantage regarding the plans he had for his future, but he reasoned that there had to be ways to train such things out of him once it would become relevant. For the time being, however, that was not a priority.

Hubert's recent behavior seemed more of a cause for concern. The boy was slow to respond and had stared stiffly at one spot ever since they boarded the ship. Now it was as if he had entirely stopped acknowledging him. When they met earlier he had simply appeared shy and rather nervous, which wasn't uncommon for first encounters. Garrett struggled to make sense of the shift in behavior. Could the apparent shyness have been concealing a more serious problem? Still, Lord Aston had assured Garrett that the boy was bright and a fast learner. He huffed and shook his head. No, Aston's word alone wasn't enough to rule out such a scenario. There remained the possibility that Aston had lied because he wished to rid himself of the burden. Garrett mentally kicked himself for not considering the option earlier. The legal documents had already been signed so it was impossible to change his mind about the matter now. He would just have to find out, he supposed. Garrett folded his arms as he pondered how to handle the situation. Doing something to test the boy's intelligence seemed a reasonable approach.

"Why don't we head below deck? I'll show you something interesting."

"O-okay..." Hubert responded in a shaky voice that barely carried far enough to reach Garrett's ears.

Garrett waited for Hubert to start moving of his own accord, but when this didn't happen he took the boy's hand and pulled him along. The prompt had the desired effect and Hubert silently followed. At least until he stopped for no apparent reason. A second tug solved the problem, but left Garrett more worried about the state of the boy's mind. He hoped that it simply was the stress of the whole situation, or that Hubert had seen something in the waves.

Before long they were both sitting by a low table upon which a map of the world was spread out. Garrett noted that Hubert was fidgeting again. Possibly the situation making him unsure. Garrett had a habit of observing people's reactions and paying attention to when the different ones surfaced. It allowed him to quite accurately assess people's emotional states, which often benefited him in negotiations. However, he would need a bit more time to fine-tune his understanding of Hubert's movements. Several things could look alike at first glance, though further observation usually would reveal distinct differences. Often small, but distinct.

Garrett ran his hand over the map once more in order to straighten it and then turned to Hubert. "Hubert, are you able to indicate our current travel route on this map?"

Hubert was silent, but just as Garrett thought that he would receive no answer he saw the boy lean forward and put his finger on the map. He placed it on the dot labeled Barona and then traced the sea route to Yu Liberte.

Garrett nodded. "Yes, that is correct." So it was proven that the boy at least knew how to read a map. Garrett wanted to see whether he was capable of going further than that. He leaned forward and in a calculated gesture placed his hand so that it covered up both the name and location of the port town of Oul Raye.

"However, we won't be taking the direct route to Yu Liberte. We will first be making a stop in Oul Raye, for business reasons. Can you show me where that is?" He smiled, keeping his position.

"Umm," Hubert said before he went silent and wiggled in his seat. Garrett's expression changed to a neutral one. So he didn't know. It didn't necessarily reflect the boy's general knowledge, he reassured himself, though part of him was already beginning to feel cheated.

"Umm," Hubert said again. He looked down and began wringing his hands. "It's... you have your hand on it. Your thumb is covering it."  
Garrett quirked an eyebrow. The answer was correct and also specific enough to be more than just a lucky guess. "Oh, you're right. How silly of me." He stood and began folding the map. "What else do you know about Oul Raye?"

"It's a place where a lot of boats go for trading. But people travel there too. Boats from there are easy to spot when they come to West Lhant Port because they usually carry bananas. When they leave West Lhant Port again they're carrying lots of apples and flour. "A lot of the time they'll also carry potatoes and carrots from Gralesyde," Hubert answered, hardly pausing for breath at all.

"I see," Garret replied, having to make a conscious effort to hide his surprise. It was unusual for a ten-year old boy to be that interested in the flow of goods. It strengthened his belief that there was something odd about the boy, but it seemed like whatever it was might be more beneficial than he first had thought. The matter was certainly deserving of further investigation.

* * *

They wouldn't be reaching Oul Raye before early next day. The sunset dyed the interior and the sea red for about an hour before it faded and left them with only the yellow glow of cryas-fuelled lamps on the inside. Garrett spent most of that time asking Hubert further questions about the world, some of which Hubert knew the answer to and some that he didn't. The incessant questioning struck Hubert as odd and he wondered about the purpose, but he also enjoyed showcasing the extent of his knowledge. People usually cut him off before he could say all the things he wanted to, yet Garrett listened and was eager to hear more.

Hubert could still have answered questions for at least another hour by the time Garrett covered his mouth and yawned. Being able to talk about all the things he had an interest in at length was a rare event. Only when he turned his head to the window did he notice that it was pitch-black outside, and obviously past his usual bedtime.

Garrett stood and straightened his coat. "I think it's about time we ended this little session of ours. We will be arriving port early tomorrow and the mind should be rested when business transactions are to be discussed."  
Hubert nodded, noticing that his throat was actually a little sore from all the talking. He also couldn't resist a sudden urge to yawn so sleep seemed like a good idea.

However, Hubert's mind refused to rest so easily. With no more questions to answer there was nothing to distract him from his emotions. He felt lonely, confused and lost. He had been assigned a room of his own to sleep in, with a bed that felt much too big. Several times he found himself looking to the other side of the room expecting to see a bed with Asbel sleeping in it. Of course there wasn't. Asbel would be in his own bed in Lhant. Envy dug into him at the thought. Their parents had never expressed anything else but love for both of their children, so then why was he being sent away? He didn't understand it at all. Hubert felt his throat grow tight and tears began to roll down his face. He dried his face on his pillow but to no avail as the tears just kept coming.

He turned his head to the bedside table where he had placed the good luck charm given to him by Asbel. The whole room looked blurry through his tears. Good luck? Good luck with being all alone? He felt as if the charm was mocking him. The lucky one was Asbel, not him. A flimsy charm didn't change that fact.

The feeling of sadness was replaced with anger. He picked up the charm and threw it at the wall with as much force as he could muster. It hit the wall with a smack and released a small cloud of powder on impact. The prospect of having destroyed the charm caused his anger to turn to guilt, even though that precisely had been his aim. He didn't understand. Now he felt bad about his previous thoughts and missed his brother and wished that he hadn't treated the charm so carelessly.

He slid out of bed and slowly approached the charm, cautious because of the cloud of powder that had appeared as he threw it. There was no telling what Abel might have filled the charm with, though Asbel still lived so it probably wasn't lethal. Hubert decided to still be careful in case it was something that could make him sick. As he came closer the answer grew obvious, clues given by a certain smell and a tingling sensation in his nose. It was pepper. For whatever reasons Hubert couldn't even begin to guess at, the good luck charm was filled with pepper. He had to sneeze three times before he managed to pick up the charm. Closer inspection revealed that it still was fine for the most part, the ribbon tied around the top of the little bag had just loosened enough to release some of the pepper. He tightened the knot and breathed a sigh of relief. The charm was unharmed. Mostly. It just contained a little less pepper but the amount wasn't even noticeable, save for in his nose where another sneeze was imminent. He got it over with and moved away from the wall so that the pepper that still was spread around wouldn't trigger another sneeze.

"...ma..ing....oise..."

Hubert froze when he heard a voice from the other side of the wall. Had the sound awoken his new father? He quickly climbed back into bed and went completely still, hoping that the sound would be attributed to something else. He heard a couple more noises and some grunts, but then silence fell again and the only thing he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart and the sound of the waves. He remained on guard for a while longer but the gentle rocking of the boat took the edge off the tension.


	2. A Taste of the New World

Hubert was surprised when he was woken up by the morning sun shining on his face. He couldn't remember calming down enough to actually sleep, but he clearly had. It was warmer than before, which wasn't odd as they had traveled south. The boat was still rocking gently from side to side so he reasoned that they still had to be out at sea. He climbed out of bed and got dressed, taking the good luck charm and slipping it into his pocket. The morning sun gave the room a dreamlike quality and for just a moment he hoped that he might wake up and find himself in his bed in Lhant.

Instead he heard his new father call for him.

* * *

Oul Raye was bustling with activity, much like West Lhant Port usually was. That was where most of the similarities ended. As soon as they stepped out on deck a wave of heat hit them, hotter than a midsummer's day in Lhant. Hubert glanced at Garrett to see how he was handling the change in temperature. The man fanned himself for a moment and then walked ahead, his expression unchanged. Hubert would rather have retreated below deck. How the other people around were able to tolerate, let alone work in the heat was a mystery to him. Instead of going below deck he looked around for a spot of shade to stand in, figuring that it would earn him less trouble. He was able to enjoy the shade for approximately thirty seconds before Garrett called for him, already standing on the quay that was paved with light sandstone.

Hubert reluctantly walked down the boarding ramp. He could still feel a gentle back and forth motion even as he was standing on solid ground. It made him a little dizzy, and his steps a little more tricky to time. He was anticipating a grueling trek through the sunbaked town when he sensed a different motion, a slight trembling of the earth. He spent a moment puzzling what might be causing it before a Turtlez transport appeared from behind a row of white stone houses. It appeared to be heading in their direction.

Turtlez transports always had Hubert worried because he feared that the huge reptile whom the carriage rested upon would step on someone, even though people always seemed to clear out in time. He turned his head to the side and caught a glimpse of Garrett wiping his forehead, not as immune to the heat as Hubert first had thought. Garrett's gaze seemed fixed on the transport, could that mean that it was for them? Hubert welcomed the idea as he was pretty sure he'd wind up with heatstroke if he had to spend much longer out in the open.

His guess turned out to be correct and before long they were sitting in the shade and watching flat rooftops pass by. Hubert sat close to the window and kept tilting his head in different directions in an attempt to see as much as possible of the town and the surroundings. What he noticed was that every building seemed to be white or very light and the same went for the roads. There wasn't much vegetation but all the more sand. It looked a bit like a beach that just went on and on and on. Of course he knew that it was a desert, but he'd probably explain it to Asbel in that way. He felt his heart sink. There wouldn't be any more of that, would there? From now on Asbel would have to figure out all of those things for himself.

* * *

The location chosen for the business meeting was a seafood restaurant. Most of the floor was covered by blue carpet featuring a shell pattern and the walls were decorated with paintings and sculptures of aquatic wildlife as well as ships. Glass tanks holding aquatic creatures were placed in the entrance area and Hubert regarded their inhabitants with great interest. It was like the time Asbel had caught a crab at the port and took it home to keep it in a flower vase, except that the crab had died. It didn't take him long to notice a pattern regarding the content of the tanks.  
"...why do they only keep one type of species in each tank?" He voiced his question without being fully aware of it.

"Oh, that?" Garrett sounded amused at the question. "It's for the ease of keeping them. They will soon end up as meals on this establishment's platters anyway so it matters little."

Hubert looked down at his hands and his expression saddened. "So they're keeping them all together because they just wait to be eaten?"

"Does that trouble you?" Garrett sighed and shot Hubert a disapproving gaze. "You are far too soft. They are nothing but food."

Hubert bit his lip and began to fidget. Maybe it was true. Lots of people kept saying that he didn't act enough like a boy, didn't they? He flinched when he felt Garrett's hand on his back, pushing him forward.

"Come. There is no point in pitying them."

* * *

The business meeting took place over dinner and wine, or water in Hubert's case. Hubert stayed silent and listened while Garrett discussed prices, amounts, transportation options and who would carry the risk associated with various fluctuations. Hubert spent most of the time looking down at his hands or at the glass tanks closest to their table, yet he registered every single word that was spoken. He stole the occasional glance at Garrett and his conversation partners but quickly looked away again to avoid meeting their eyes. Though he was feeling nervous again he didn't dare play around with his good luck charm this time, for fear that some of the pepper would come out and he'd accidentally cause a scene.

Garrett's lips curled into a satisfied smirk once his negotiation partners had left the table. He waited until both of them were out of earshot. "That was all too easy."

"Umm, they seemed happy too," Hubert pointed out, not at all understanding what Garrett was so pleased about.

"Of course they did," Garrett scoffed. "It's simply a matter of making them believe that they're getting a good deal."  
Hubert went silent and chewed on his bottom lip. "...so they weren't?"

"Not as good as they could have, no. It's all part of doing business. Everyone plays the game and the ones who excel at it reap the rewards," Garrett explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh," Hubert mumbled into his collar. He wasn't sure what to make of the response as his birth father had always emphasized the value of trust and fairness. On the other hand, if everyone was playing the game then wouldn't not doing so leave oneself at a disadvantage? The problem was that the split still would be unfair if one person was a lot better at the game than the other. The conflicting views confused him to the point where it gave him a mild headache and he decided to just watch the sea critters instead.

Garrett ordered himself a celebratory glass of wine while Hubert received some ice cream. When they stepped outside a Turtlez transport was already waiting for them, which was a relief to Hubert as it was now midday and the sun was even hotter. They returned straight to the ship and set sail again - this time for Yu Liberte.

* * *

The negotiations in Oul Raye seemed to have filled Garrett with energy. Hubert guessed that it was because he was pleased with the outcome. When the boat left port Hubert headed below deck, as did Garrett. Hubert headed to his room in order to read more while Garrett went off somewhere else, probably in order to rest. The strange thing, then, was that Hubert kept hearing footsteps. Curiosity got the better of him and he carefully pushed open his door just a tiny bit and watched through the crack. It turned out that Garrett, for whatever reason, was carrying a multitude of small decorative items. He would walk inside a room further down the hallway, emerging empty-handed and later returning with a new armful of items. After he'd dropped off the second round of items Garrett left the room once more, but stopped right outside of it. He turned his head in Hubert's direction.

Had he been spotted? Would it be wrong to have been spotted? Hubert quickly closed the door, his heart now beating rapidly in his chest.  
"Hubert?"

He shrunk when he heard Garrett call for him, and then headed straight for the window. By the time he could hear a knock on the door Hubert was pretending to be extremely fascinated by the waves outside. He heard the door open and pretended to be even more absorbed.

"Hubert, I was wondering if you'd like to play a little game."

Garrett didn't seem mad, so Hubert guessed that he either hadn't noticed him peeking or that it was okay after all. Either way he nodded and came along.

* * *

Garrett used the items he had brought to set up a negotiation problem that was quite similar to the one in the restaurant. In that way he figured that Hubert already should have a clue to the way of handling it, provided that he had paid attention to the discussion at the restaurant. As such it would be a test of both the boy's ability to pay attention as well as negotiating a deal.

Hubert was visibly nervous but didn't dare to turn Garrett down. It didn't take long before he began attempting to emulate the behavior that he had observed at the restaurant. Garrett encouraged the boy and soon enough both sides were making offers and suggesting trades. He was pleased to see that the boy had gotten the basic idea. The execution, however, still left a lot to wish for.

"Please, offering even more than this would put me in a difficult position," Garrett said, an apologetic expression on his face. Of course it was just a lie, but it had the desired effect.

And how the boy squirmed. It was obvious that he was struggling with himself. If it wasn't for the fact that Garrett would be raising him to be his future heir it would have been highly amusing. But such was the situation, and the boy had a long way to go.

* * *

"...okay, you can have it," Hubert finally said after a long time of gnawing on his lip and wriggling in his seat. The whole situation had him so nervous that he was starting to feel queasy. Still, he was pretty confident that he'd made the right choice. They had been negotiating for a good while now and if Garrett had trouble going any lower then the result would probably be okay.

Garrett put a hand to his forehead and shook his head. Hubert froze, unsure of whether that was a good or a bad thing.

"No, no, my boy." Garrett sighed. "That really isn't the answer you should be giving. You just agreed to let me reap the majority of the profits."

"But you said that you couldn't offer any more or it'd be troublesome for you..." Hubert looked down and gnawed on his lip some more. He had been so sure that they'd finally come close to striking a fair deal, so how could that be the outcome?

Garrett sat back and pushed his glasses up. "Yes, I said that it would make matters difficult for you, but that is simply a way of putting pressure on your opponent. You could still have pushed me a lot further. The trick is to get the other party to the point where they make just enough to not want to break off the negotiations. It's not easy as you have to avoid pressuring them so much that they crack and you're left with nothing. That is why negotiation is an art."

He leaned back and sighed again. "Besides, you are far too easy to read. I could recognize the exact moment when you made a decision and whether it was positive or negative. It also shows very clearly when you feel pressured or are unsure of what to do. You move your hands in one way when you are pleased, and in a different way when stressed."

"...oh." Hubert looked down and began to fidget. Was it really that bad?

"The movements of your body betray your feelings. You shouldn't display them so openly as people are sure to take advantage of that fact. Control is key." Garrett calmly raised his right hand with the index finger pointing up as if to illustrate his point. "What did you see when you watched me during our little exercise?"

"Well, you seemed stressed when I started demanding more," Hubert mumbled.

"Exactly." Garrett smiled. "But those were not my true feelings. You fell for the act. To make your body's movements match up with a different emotion than the one you are feeling is a crucial skill to master."

"That seems... really hard," Hubert said in a small voice. He would just feel things and then his body acted accordingly. Being told that it was so visible was a surprise to him. Sure, Asbel and Cheria often picked up on it, but others had never mentioned it to him. Well, except for when he was scared because that often had him shaking like a leaf and that was hard to ignore for most people. But in terms of the rest he had assumed that most people didn't notice, or not even been aware of it himself, so it was a shock to hear that Garrett was able to tell so much about his emotional state from just looking at him.

"You don't need to concern yourself with all of that immediately, but you'll need to work on it in the future," Garrett said.

"Y-yes," Hubert mumbled. He was relieved that Garrett didn't demand he do something about it instantly, but he wasn't sure whether it really was doable as many of the movements were ones that he himself hadn't noticed.

Garrett scratched his head. "At any rate, I think we'll get back to the topic of negotiating at a later time. Why don't you head upstairs and get some fresh air? It might do you well."

Hubert wrung his hands and shifted his weight from one side to the other. "...too hot."

"Fair enough. There's a bookcase further down the hallway. Feel free to take any book that might be of interest to you to your room. They're not exactly children's literature and most are factual books, but I get the feeling that it might not be an issue for you."

Hubert wasn't really sure what Garrett was getting at, but he nodded and left the room. He liked books, and he liked reading things about the world. Asbel sometimes shook his head at the books Hubert picked out, failing to understand how they possibly could be interesting. Well, he wasn't around to shake his head at him now. Hubert defiantly puffed his cheeks and headed for the bookcase.

* * *

He settled on volume three of Sage's world lexicon. He didn't have a particular reason for picking the third volume, the number had just appealed the most to him. The reading of the book was approached in much the same manner, where he flipped it open at random pages until he saw a word that caught his interest. He read about places, inventions and concepts and it soothed him. The words turned to images in his mind and allowed him to drift off to entirely different places and put aside his worries for the moment.

Once in a while something that reminded him of Asbel would come up. When that happened he'd quickly turn the page and push that thought to the back of his mind. No Asbel. No Lhant. That was the sort of future his parents had chosen for him. He wiped away a tear and focused on the page in front of him.

_"Rockgagong; A large, docile creature which inhabits the desert area west of scholars' town Sable Izolle. It is rarely sighted, yet it is a beloved symbol to the townspeople and is commonly featured on merchandise. Rockgagong safaris are offered during..."_

At the moment he needed all the comfort that the book could provide him.


	3. Flowers in the Desert

The voyage to Yu Liberte still took several days which Hubert mostly spent reading. He cried himself to sleep every single night, wondering what he had done wrong. No matter how many times he tried to replay the events in his mind he couldn't seem to find an answer. He couldn't find the pieces that still needed to fall into place for the situation to make sense. Each time he saw the perfect, adoring family. Then why was he sent away? The question only seemed to burn more strongly within him the more time he spent trying to figure out the answer.

Garrett mostly left Hubert to his own devices and hadn't asked him to take part in any more negotiation games or answer questions. Hubert wasn't really sure whether that was good or bad, and wondered if it meant that Garrett had lost interest. If that happened, maybe he'd be sent back to Lhant? The idea gave Hubert hope and it became easier to distract himself from the question nagging inside. Volume three of Sage's world lexicon was soon exchanged for volume four.

Once Hubert was bored with volume four he headed into the hallway and swapped volume four for volume five. That was where he ran into Garrett. The man looked at him and then smiled.

"I see that you have a healthy interest in the world. Keep that up, it'll be useful to you in Yu Liberte." Garrett gave Hubert a pat on the head as he walked by.

Hubert, on the other hand, felt his heart sink. Garrett hadn't lost interest. Of course things weren't going to be that easy. No one would come all the way from Strahta to adopt him and then change their mind. He felt numb as he returned to his room, but reading helped him calm down somewhat. When the time to get volume six was drawing near Hubert called for lunch. As they ate, Garrett remarked that they would reach the port by midday.

It was nothing more than an offhand remark, yet it caused Hubert's stomach to feel like he'd swallowed a handful of snow. He knew the feeling because Asbel once had forced him to, as a dare, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. The plate of crablettes that he had actually been enjoying up to that point didn't at all seem appealing anymore. A new wave of desperation washed over Hubert, as the statement made it clear to him how final the arrangement was. It wasn't merely some transient thing, this was his future. There was no going back to Lhant. He would live in Strahta for the rest of his life, as an Oswell. He was unable to hold the emotion in and burst into tears with a half-eaten meal still on his plate. 

* * *

And there he went off again. Garrett was beginning to get a feel for the boy's reaction patterns and he couldn't say that he particularly liked them.

He took a moment to consider the situation. It was becoming clear to him that the boy's grieving phase might last longer than he first had anticipated. No matter, it would eventually pass. Until then he simply needed to find ways to manage it. He stood and walked around to Hubert's side of the table. He began to gently pat the boy's head until his sobs calmed down and he reached the stage of residual sniffles and drying his tears.

As with any action of Garrett's, this also came with a plan and purpose behind it. He rested an arm on the table and leaned forward in an attempt to meet Hubert's gaze, adopting a supportive tone. "I know that this must be so hard for you, having your own parents decide that they no longer want you. But I have faith in you. Surely, there are a few matters that must be addressed but it's nothing we won't be able to handle together. They are foolish to toss you aside in this manner."

"They're... tossing me aside?" Hubert sniffled.

Though his exterior showed a kind smile, the true Garrett was really smirking. The boy was rising to the bait, just as planned. He didn't push the issue any further as he deemed the planting of a seed to be sufficient for the time being. Instead he offered reassurance and suggested that Hubert might save his meal for later if he had lost his appetite, which Hubert appeared grateful for.

* * *

They reached the port of Yu Liberte a couple of hours later and a Turtlez transport took them to the city. Hubert still didn't know how to feel about it all, but he had calmed down and eaten and Garrett's remark had slipped off to someplace in the back of his mind. As the city grew closer, so did his curiosity about what it would be like, and for the moment the excitement of seeing the place was crowding out his negative emotions. He had read that it was supposed to be like an oasis in the desert but he couldn't possibly have imagined how lush the place was. Everywhere he looked there were canals and fountains, green gardens and vibrant flowerbeds.

His eyes went wide with amazement when their transport passed under an arch made up of two columns of upward-flowing water that sparkled in the sunlight. It was like the fountains in Lhant, except for the fact that the water didn't flow back down but seemed to be disappearing in mid-air. "How do they do that?" he asked, turning his head to follow the arch and forgetting to close his mouth because he was too awed to remember that it even existed.

"I'm not too certain of the specifics myself, but I believe it has something to do with cryas artes," Garrett responded matter-of-factly. As they made their way through the city Garrett offered explanations of the various districts and buildings of importance. Hubert did his best to take it all in, but in the end there were so many names in his mind that most of them got jumbled together.

The transport came to a halt in front of a large manor. Hubert looked at Garrett, who nodded. This was the place. Garrett's manor was surrounded by a large flower garden, featuring a large number of species unknown to Hubert and some that he recognized from Lhant. Everything seemed to be arranged with great care. He had noticed that about most of the other gardens as well.

"Wow, there are so many different flowers in this city," Hubert said.

"Indeed," Garrett smiled. "Many of them are rare species imported from different lands. Being able to grow them when the rest of our land is so barren is a blessing granted us by Duplemar. Therefore, owning a garden that holds a wide range of different flowers is said to bring good fortune."

Hubert nodded, thinking that it sounded like a nice custom. Judging by Garrett's garden, he clearly put an effort into collecting many different species. It certainly ranked on the high end for the number of different flowers compared to the gardens Hubert had seen so far. "...you must have a very lucky garden then," he finally said.

Garrett's response was an amused chuckle. "That may be the case. I do try to bring rare seeds from my business travels when I have the opportunity."

Hubert didn't understand why Garrett had chuckled, but the thought vanished as they proceeded up the stairs and entered the manor. Everything on the inside was expensive-looking and left no doubts about Garrett's social standing. Sculptures and paintings decorated the room and several couches and tables had been set up on the left side of the room. It looked like a place that frequently received important visitors, and often many of them at a time. A maid hurried over to greet them.

"Welcome back, master Oswell. I hope you've had a pleasant trip." The maid gave a bow and then turned to Hubert. "And welcome to Strahta, young master Hubert. Yu Liberte is a truly wonderful city, so you should like it here."  
Hubert wasn't sure about how he was expected to respond so he remained silent and only gave a small nod. He shifted his weight from side to side as he waited to see what would happen.

Garrett spoke."Yes, it was a smooth journey. The seas were calm, as they mostly tend to be at this time of year."

The maid gave another bow and returned to dusting off the statue closest to the entrance. It seemed that the exchange was finished. Hubert found himself wondering what would happen next. They had arrived, but what happened after that point? He had been so preoccupied with everything he was leaving behind that he had hardly given any thought to the future. His question was answered when Garrett turned his attention to Hubert. "Now that we've arrived, how about I show you to your room? You must be tired from all the new impressions."

"Um," Hubert responded. There was one thing that struck him as odd. Hubert knew that whenever his father returned from a longer trip his mother would be right there to greet him, often with a kiss. And if she wasn't then his father would ask about her. Nothing of the sort had happened here.

Garrett raised an eyebrow. "Is something amiss?"

Hubert fidgeted for a moment as he wondered about whether to ask the question or not to ask. In the end he decided to, figuring that it was pretty important to know whether he'd also have a new mother or not. "Don't you have a wife?"

"Oh, that." Garrett gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "It is a simple matter. So far there has been no woman who would provide a sufficiently big payoff to justify the time and effort required." He huffed and shook his head. "My brother, however, was not as rigorous about his standards, and we all know the result of that. His son Raymond is devoted but he is hardly the sharpest of mind. You will understand when you see him around."

"O-oh..." Hubert wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't really understand what sort of payoff one was supposed to get from a wife, but that wasn't what concerned him. No, the issue was the second part of Garrett's explanation where he'd talked about Raymond. Would Garrett be saying similar things about him if he failed to perform? He felt his stomach churning.

"Now then, shall we return to the matter of your room?" Garrett smiled and motioned in the direction of the stairs.

* * *

It wasn't a bad room, by any means. It featured a big comfortable bed, a fluffy circular rug in the center of the room, a blue sky painted on the ceiling and several boxes filled with toys lining the walls. In other words, it was a perfectly good room. It even was bigger than the one Hubert had shared with Asbel in Lhant. But that was part of the problem - he wasn't sharing this room with anyone. All of those toys did little good when he lacked someone to play with.

"What is wrong? You look dejected. Are you not happy to receive all of this?" Garrett sounded surprised.

Hubert remained silent and gnawed on his bottom lip. It wasn't that he didn't think it was nice of Garrett to provide all of this for him. It was that this wasn't what he wanted at all. All the toys in the world didn't matter if the price he had to pay for them was to give up Asbel.

"No good, hm? Perhaps the exhaustion of the journey is putting a damper on your mood. Why not rest for a while?" Garrett suggested.

Hubert nodded weakly. When Garrett mentioned it he realized how very tired he felt. Because he had been crying himself to sleep every night and then waking up at sunrise he hadn't been able to get the usual hours of rest. He just hadn't noticed it earlier because of all the emotions he had been dealing with. He waddled over to the bed and let himself fall onto it. It was every bit as soft as it looked, a meager comfort. His eyes closed on their own accord, but even then images of Yu Liberte and various scenes from their journey kept flashing before them.

"Now that's better already, isn't it?" Garrett commented.

He left the room, carefully closing the door behind him.

But Hubert knew that no, it wasn't.

* * *

The next morning Hubert was woken up to have breakfast with Garrett. He felt less tired but everything was still new and confusing. It all felt so very wrong. He ate his breakfast slowly, not feeling much of an appetite.

"You seem to rather troubled," Garrett commented with a concerned expression on his face. "Hubert, let me offer you a piece of advice. Do not waste energy feeling sad about being separated from your parents. They made a conscious decision to abandon you. They chose to throw you away. In other words, they are not deserving of even a thought, much less your emotions."

Hubert remembered now. Garrett had also said a similar thing on the boat. Was it really true? "They did?"

Garrett sighed and adjusted his glasses. He looked pained. "I know it is a difficult thing to accept. However, it was clear to me from the moment we began to discuss an eventual adoption. Compared to your brother they found you to be... lacking."

"I... wasn't good enough?" Hubert felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Is it because I get scared easily? Because people say I don't act enough like a boy?"

"Well, I cannot know for certain. But the harsh truth is that most people would view those traits as rather substantial negatives. The good news is that they can be changed with enough patience and hard work. Sadly, your parents lacked the patience and found it preferable to hand you off to someone else."

"So I... it's because I..." Hubert's vision was growing blurry and he felt a deep pain in his chest. Not of the physical sort, but this pain somehow managed to hurt even worse.

"Please don't cry. I can tell that you have a lot of potential, which your parents were too foolish to see. If anything your ability might easily surpass that of your brother."

"R-really? I could be stronger than Asbel? That can't be..." Hubert bit his lip. Asbel was brave and didn't fear anything, not even big, scary thunderstorms. Hubert couldn't imagine himself as that sort of person.

"Oh, but it's possible. What you need to do is work hard, and I will support you to the best of my abilities for every step of the way." Garrett smiled.

Hubert went silent. That sort of scenario didn't even seem reasonably likely to him. He was just too weak. So weak that his own parents didn't want him. And so, in spite of Garrett's words, he burst into tears.


	4. Harbor at the Other End of the World

The days passed but Hubert's mood didn't improve. Garrett would check on the boy once in a while but mostly left him to his own devices, figuring that he might need some time alone in order to adjust to the situation. However, after five days of trying that approach Garrett decided that it might be better to take the boy out for some sort of activity.

Garrett paced back and forth in the front hall as he considered different options. He recalled Hubert's excitement at Strahta's fountains. They were merely a part of the regular scenery to Garrett, and having both been born and grown up in Yu Liberte he had never given the matter much thought. He had picked up on the fact that they impressed visitors though, and used that to his advantage where he could. However, even visitors got used to them rather quickly so it was hardly a long-term strategy.

He crossed his arms and stopped to look out the window, where the view mostly consisted of his lush flower garden. It was lucky if one believed in local superstition but Garrett personally didn't believe that there was any connection between his success and what grew in his garden. Keeping a wide range of rare flowers did earn him additional respect so it still was useful, but they weren't going to solve the current problem. He started to pace once more and scratched his chin. He could take the boy to the presidential palace, he supposed, but again it was a thing that would appear impressive on first sight but eventually be just another part of the scenery. Then he remembered something much better. The boy liked boats and trade routes and could clearly go on about them for hours. What then was a better place to go than the port?

Garrett headed straight up the stairs and to Hubert's room, where he once again found the boy sniffling in a corner. "Look at you, still in such low spirits. Whatever shall we do?" Garrett walked closer and squatted in front of Hubert. "Would a trip to the harbor perchance be of interest?"

Hubert dried his tears and looked at Garrett with a blank expression. "...the harbor? Why?"

Seemed like he was too distraught to put two and two together. Garrett smiled, hoping that it would come across as comforting or caring. It would make things much easier if he could earn Hubert's trust. "Why? You do like ships, don't you? Wouldn't you enjoy watching them for a bit?"

"Oh... Um. Maybe." Hubert turned his head away and squirmed.

Garrett waited for a moment to allow the boy some time to respond. The only answer was silence and more squirming. Looked like the ships by themselves weren't quite be enough to convince him. However, Garrett's position in Strahtan affairs left him with several additional options at his disposal. "I can also arrange for a tour of the loading facilities, and perhaps even a couple of the ships."

Hubert slowly turned back to Garrett, eyes wide. "Really?"

Garrett chuckled. Now that was more like it. "Indeed, and we can leave for the port right this instant if you so desire."

Hubert nodded.

"Very well. Just give me a moment to arrange a transport."

* * *

It didn't take long before they arrived at the harbor. Hubert's first course of action was to find a spot that allowed him a good view of the ships. There were several, some of them quite large. Still, he wasn't able to feel the same excitement he did when he usually watched ships. The pain of being separated from Asbel and his parents took up way too much space inside of him. He knew that moping wasn't productive and wouldn't change the situation, but that still didn't keep the emotions from taking over him. Books had also stopped working. The mention of a tour of the port's facilities, however, managed to ignite a spark of excitement within him. No one had ever suggested that sort of thing in Lhant.

"Nice to finally get a bit of fresh air, isn't it?" Garrett commented.

Hubert turned his head and saw Garrett smiling at him. He had to admit that being outside felt better than just sitting in a corner crying by himself. "...yes."

"Should we get to the tour right now or would you prefer to watch the ships for a while first?"

"Mmm..." Hubert shifted his weight from one side to the other as he tried to figure out which option he preferred. He decided to go for the tour first. He wasn't managing to feel very enthusiastic about the ships so if anything could distract him it was the tour. "Tour."

"Very well." Garrett nodded and motioned for Hubert to follow him.

They began at the building where most of the paperwork was processed and then followed the path that goods most commonly took. At each station Garrett either explained or asked a worker to. While Hubert already knew a fair bit about the processes he knew little of the sorts of details that were explained to him now. Part of it were several complicated rules and import regulations, which Hubert only half managed to make sense of at times. Garrett also recounted a couple of stories where seemingly unimportant details had caused issues. They ended the tour by watching how a shipment of bananas was loaded. Hubert was feeling better when they turned and walked back to the public area of the harbor, though the bad emotions soon returned.

They stuck around to watch the ships as planned but Hubert's already limited enthusiasm was draining with each passing second. Soon enough he would continuously fidget as they walked and shift his weight from side to side whenever they made a stop.

"Perhaps it's about time we headed home. You appear exhausted."

Garrett's assessment wasn't quite correct but Hubert still nodded. He did want to return to the manor. The fact that he wasn't able to properly enjoy the ships was only causing Hubert's mood to plummet further at present.

* * *

And so Garrett was yet again left with the problem of how to cheer the boy up. The attempt at the harbor had seemed promising, and at first Garrett had thought that it was merely fatigue that brought Hubert's mood down after their little tour. However, as they returned to the manor it soon became apparent that nothing much had changed - the boy still retreated into his room and spent most of the time crying. The whole thing was getting to be a bigger problem than Garrett had anticipated. He had plenty of meetings and other business related matters to attend to but every spare moment he had was spent trying to figure what to do regarding Hubert.

Garrett hated to admit it but he found himself in lack of good ideas. How did one permanently make a child happy? He tried his best to act the part of the caring parent but it presented a challenge as he had little experience with children. Whenever he interacted with them he wanted to treat them as miniature adults, and they kept proving that they weren't.

He was back to pacing back and forth in the main hall as he tried to figure out a solution to his problem when one of the maids entered the room and began dusting off the statues. He stopped as an idea found its way into his head. This might be the time to seek outside advice, and he was fairly certain that a woman would know how to handle children. He turned to the maid.

"Tell me, what would make a child happy?"

The maid gave him a puzzled look. "Make a child happy...? Ah! Could it be that you are thinking of young master Hubert?"

Garrett sighed. "That is indeed the case. I just cannot seem to figure it out." He shook his head. It was nagging at him for several reasons. First, it was a problem that had to be solved before he could move on to any of his plans. Second, he was used to playing people with ease and the whole situation highlighted a deficit in him.

The maid scratched her head. "What would make him happy, I wonder... How about some new toys?"

Garrett huffed and shook his head. "His room already contains several crates of them, and so far they have done nothing to improve his mood."

"Perhaps they weren't the right toys?" she promptly responded.

Now it was Garrett's turn to stare at her with a blank expression. "Not the right toys? What do you mean? I have provided him with toys of the finest quality."

"Well..." The maid looked off to the side and rubbed the back of her neck. She was worried about challenging him, Garrett could tell by her movements. It was the effect he tended to have on people with little influence of their own.

He smiled at her in order to put her at ease. "Please, go on. I would highly value your input on this situation."

"It might be that he prefers different sorts of toys and that's why it's not working."

Garrett's expression lit up. Of course, how had he not considered that option before? It was obvious in hindsight. "Yes, yes that must be it." He would see to it at once that the boy received the proper toys. Then he would be happy and the whole issue would be solved. In order to get it right this time he would let the boy come along and allow him to pick. It was all so simple.

* * *

Hubert was surprised when Garrett barged into his room and announced that the two of them would be going shopping. Immediately. He was sitting next to Garrett in a Turtlez transport before he was able to wrap his head around what even was happening. Something had the man excited but Hubert had no idea what it possibly could be. And why were they going shopping? Garrett hadn't explained a thing to him. He turned his head to watch the scenery they were passing by. At least it was a pretty sight.

Their stop was the market district. The streets were lined with all sorts of shops and there also were stalls scattered around. All sorts of things were being sold. Clothes. Armor. Seafood. Fist-sized replicas of Duplemar. Dried herbs of various smells and sizes. Meticulously woven carpets. Ice in special globes that prevented it from melting.

There were so many things to be seen that Hubert hardly had any idea of where to look. But then there was one thing that did draw his eye. In a shop window he saw a meticulously detailed ship model. It was big enough that he'd have to use both hands if he was to carry it. He stopped walking in order to be able to take in all the details.

"Hmm? Hubert, did you spot something of interest?" Garrett immediately took notice.

"Oh, um..." Hubert looked down and shifted his weight from one side to the other. What were they here for anyway? Was he delaying Garrett? Or was he meant to do something?

"That ship model, is it? I should have expected as much." Garrett sounded pleased.

Hubert didn't understand what was going on. He automatically began to fidget. What was Garrett pleased about? "Umm..."

"You do want it, correct?"

So that was what it was about. They were going shopping so Hubert could pick something... right? The whole situation would be so much easier if Garrett just had given him a proper explanation to begin with. But what if that wasn't it? Hubert settled on a neutral response. "Uh... It's a nice model."

"In that case we'd better buy it before someone else does, don't you agree?"

Okay, so he definitely was buying the model for Hubert. Then he had probably come to the right conclusion about the purpose of the trip after all. Hubert's fidgeting lessened in intensity as he followed Garrett inside the shop. A quick look around the store revealed that the wooden ship model in the window was the only one they had in stock. They spent a short while looking around before Garrett asked Hubert if there was anything else he might want. When there wasn't Garrett went and paid for the ship model and suggested that they make their way back to the mansion, as dinner time was drawing near.

* * *

Garrett had to leave for a business meeting right after dinner, but even as he was on his way he couldn't stop thinking about his recent findings. It should have been clear as day to him long before this point, but now that he finally had made the connection it turned the rest of it into a trivial matter. The boy liked boats so it was only natural that he would enjoy replications of them. It really was too bad that the shop had only carried one. He would have liked to see Hubert's reaction at two boats, or even three. Or why not a whole dozen? That should make him a very happy boy and dispel his worries about his old family in Lhant once and for all. Material goods always outweighed than allegiances, promises or ideals. Garrett knew that very well. The trick to it was to pile up enough to get to the point where the value of the material outweighed that of the intangible.

Once the meeting was over Garrett headed back to the market district and scoured the shops. He found some more ship models, but not all of them were of a satisfactory quality and so the amount he wound up with was less than a dozen. He put in orders for the remaining number, emphasizing that he would need the items as soon as possible.

It still took three days for everything to arrive, during which Garrett kept the models that had arrived hidden in a cabinet in his room. The wait didn't feel long to him as he had plenty of business to take care of, but he worried about Hubert who was still moping. Still, there was no way around the wait as he wanted to surprise the boy by presenting him with all of the ship models at once. He expected the gesture to have the greatest effect in that way.

At last the final model was in his hands. He had to admit that it had been worth the wait - it was biggest out of the dozen, smooth to touch, and had intricate details painted on it in the appropriate places. There was no way Hubert wouldn't be excited about it. There couldn't be. Garrett was in a great mood when he returned to the manor and the first thing he did was to arrange all the models on a table before he went to get Hubert.

He knocked carefully as he could hear the boy crying from the other side. "Hubert? I have a surprise for you. One I'm certain you'll enjoy."

Hubert's sobbing stopped. "O-oh?"

"Why don't you come see what it is?"

Hubert nodded and Garrett led the way. When they reached the room he closely monitored Hubert's reaction as he opened the door. The boy's face showed surprise.

"Wow, there are so many ships!"

"These are all for you, Hubert. I hope you will enjoy them." And that he would soon forget about his old family in Lhant. Though that part was not suited for saying aloud.

"All of these are for me?" The boy regarded him with wide eyes. "Really?"

Garrett smiled. It seemed that his surprise was successful. "Indeed. They're all yours to use as you please."

Hubert walked over to each model and carefully inspected it. When he was done he turned to Garrett again. "Can I move them to my room?"

"Of course." Garrett chuckled. "I did say that they are yours to do with as you please, did I not?"

Garrett watched with contentment as Hubert began transporting the models to his room one by one. The boy was handling them with the utmost care and was still marveling at the level of detail that had gone into them. Garrett folded his hands behind his back and smiled to himself. Now he would finally be able to move on to the next phase of his plan.


	5. A Letter Long Awaited

Hubert did have some fun with the ship models that Garrett had bought him. They were well made and almost as detailed as the real thing. The problem was that no matter how nice they were they still couldn't replace Asbel and it wasn't long before Hubert was feeling lonely and sad again. He felt some guilt because he saw how hard Garrett was trying to make things comfortable for him, but it just wasn't possible for him to leave behind his whole life up to this point in the blink of an eye. And then there was the fact that his parents didn't want him.

At the present moment emotions had overcome him once again and he sat crying in his room, surrounded by ship models. He had tried to devise a game he could play on his own but it just wasn't working. Or rather, it just wasn't fun that way. If Asbel was around he'd do something like introducing pirates out of nowhere. Or take the role of a giant monster attacking Barona's navy. Playing alone just wasn't the same.

His train of thought was broken by a knock on the door.

Hubert sniffled and wiped away his tears. "...yes?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise when it was one of the maids who opened the door. "You still miss your brother, don't you?"

"Y-yes." He nodded, not sure why she was asking him about that.

"It must be difficult, being so far away. Why not write him a letter? Maybe you can't see him but you can still keep in touch." The maid smiled.

"A letter?" Hubert began to fidget. "Is that really okay?" His parents didn't want him so they surely wouldn't welcome any letters either. But if he wrote to Asbel directly then maybe it was a different matter. The thought filled him with hope. While he might not be able to see Asbel in person they could still be able to write each other.

"Of course it's okay. I'm sure he'll be really happy to get a letter from you." The maid's smile vanished when a sound could be heard from downstairs. "Oh, I think the master is returning. I'd better return to my duties." She closed the door and hurried off, but Hubert was filled with too much emotion to pay any mind to it.

He was already thinking about all the things he'd write to Asbel about. All those things he hadn't thought he'd be able to share - of course he still could! How had the idea not occurred to him? It was so simple. Letters could travel all over the world. He'd tell him about the big ports, the scorching sun, the arches of water, everything. It was going to be a long letter, five or six pages at least. Or seven. Time would show. He bounced around the room, unable to contain his excitement. And still new things he could tell Asbel about kept occurring to him.

Hubert didn't know how much time had passed when he heard a second knock on the door. This one was firmer. "Yes?"

The door opened and Garrett entered. He would usually come to check on Hubert when he had some time to spare. "I've returned. My, you look full of energy today. Did something good happen?"

It wasn't just something good, it was something great. Hubert ran up to Garrett and beamed at him. "I'm going to write a letter! A letter to Asbel!"

There seemed to be some sort of change in Garrett's expression, but then it returned to the same as before. Hubert decided that he'd probably just imagined it or that it was a random twitch that didn't carry any deeper meaning, so he kept smiling and shifted his weight from side to side in anticipation.

"Indeed. Writing a letter can be a nice gesture," Garrett said.

"Yeah! One of the maids suggested it." Hubert grinned. He was so happy that he couldn't have shown any other expression even if he tried to.

"In that case you must be very eager to start writing. Have you already checked the bottom most drawer of your desk?"

Hubert stopped and tilted his head to the side. Truth be told he hadn't expected there to be anything inside it as Garrett hadn't mentioned anything about it before. "No. Why?"

"Prior to your arrival I had it filled with various stationary for occasions such as this one."

Garrett didn't need to say that twice. Hubert dashed over to the desk and pulled open the drawer. Just like Garrett said there was a variety of stationary inside. Hubert selected one that featured sketch of Yu Liberte, figuring that Asbel probably would be interested in seeing what his new home looked like.  
  
"Hand me the letter once you've finished and I'll make sure that it swiftly reaches Lhant."

Hubert nodded eagerly and got to writing.

* * *

Garrett had retreated to his study in order to look over some business documents. The interior followed the same pattern as the rest of his manor - clearly expensive and selected to give off an air of refinement. His desk featured ornate carvings and he sat in a comfortable armchair. However, the refined atmosphere was at odds with Garrett's current mood. He was fuming. One meddlesome maid had planted a very problematic idea in the boy's head. Garrett most wanted to fire her but he knew that it would look like an overreaction. He couldn't deny Hubert's simple request of sending his brother a letter. It would make his intent too obvious and possibly break the boy's fragile trust forever.

Garrett began looking over some business documents in order to take his mind off the problem for the time being. Calming down was vital, otherwise he'd easily reveal too much of his intent. He had just reached the end of one document and was about to start reading over the next one when he heard a weak knock on the door. It seemed hesitant so he reasoned that it had to be Hubert. "Come on in. Did you finish writing your letter?"

The door slowly opened and Hubert stepped inside, though he walked no further than two steps from the door. Nervous about intruding on Garrett's territory, no doubt. The boy was holding a stack of pages. He extended his arms forward and offered it to Garrett. "Yeah."

Garrett smiled as he received the stack. He guessed the number of pages to be somewhere around ten. "You've been working hard, haven't you? Your brother will surely be pleased to receive such a detailed letter."

Hubert swayed slowly from side to side and looked down. Nervous but happy was Garrett's guess. He was beginning to get a decent feel for what the boy's various movements meant. Hubert glanced up at him for a second. "Yeah, he will, won't he?"

"Certainly. It's more effort than most would put into a letter. I will make sure that it is sent off as soon as possible."

"When will it reach Lhant?"

Garrett scratched his chin. "In about four days or so, and then the same amount of time is needed for a reply to reach Strahta." That was the time it usually took when he was exchanging letters with his business partners. Give or take some, depending on how many monsters wandered the routes.

"So it's eight days of waiting then?" Hubert tilted his head to the side.

"Provided that he responds immediately and nothing delays the delivery." Garrett shrugged. "Otherwise you'll have to add a couple of days."

"Okay." Hubert nodded. "Umm..." He trailed off and began to fidget while he shifted his weight from one side to the other. Uncertainty. The boy was nervous about the question he wanted to ask.

"Yes? Was there something else?" Garrett smiled and leaned forward.

Hubert looked off to the side as he spoke. "Can you send the letter today?"

"I'll see what I can do."

The response elicited a small smile from Hubert who nodded and left the room.

Garrett waited for a few moments after the door was closed, then he counted the number of pages Hubert had written. There turned out to be eleven in total. Not bad, especially given that the boy's tiny handwriting filled the entirety of each page. That was when a thought occurred to him. Eleven pages, and the boy had poured his feelings onto them. While the matter in itself was bothersome the letter would provide a handy insight into the boy's feelings. Garrett smirked as he began to read the letter. Shortly after he came to another realization.

* * *

Hubert spent the next days feeling more excited than he had in a long time. He even sat by himself in his room and played with the various toys and ship models, sometimes pausing to imagine what twists Asbel would have added to the plot. Maybe he could write to him about the story in the next letter he wrote? That way Asbel could respond and tell him what he'd actually have done. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. The thought made Hubert even more excited about the letter he would soon receive from Asbel. He was counting the days and doing everything to make them pass as fast as possible. Garrett commented on his good mood several times and it seemed to please him. Hubert figured that it wasn't a bad thing.

As they sat eating dinner, six days had been passed since the letter had been sent, Hubert had an idea. "Can Asbel come visit sometime?"

"Visit you, hmm?" Garrett raised an eyebrow. "That would take a fair bit of planning, but I suppose I could investigate the matter. It would depend on his parents' cooperation. It's a rather lengthy trip after all."

"But it could be possible?"

"Mm, in theory it would." Garrett nodded. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises. So please don't be too disappointed if it doesn't come to that."

"...yeah." Hubert wiggled in his seat. What Garrett said made sense, though he still hoped that it would be possible to arrange something. Still, if it didn't work out he'd still be receiving a letter from Asbel in two days. Or three, or four, depending on how long it took his brother to write the reply. Even so it would be arriving soon.

* * *

 After six more days had passed Hubert began to grow impatient. "Are you sure that it takes four days for a letter to get from Lhant to Yu Liberte?" he asked Garrett over breakfast the morning of the thirteenth day.

"On average, it does." Garrett was currently trying to focus his attention on an article in the newspaper. It concerned a rather complicated political conflict that had been creating waves in the higher spheres of Strahtan society over the course of the past few days.

"And on not-average?"

Garrett huffed and looked up. That was a question he had answered previously and asking it again wouldn't change the facts. "I already explained to you that roaming monsters could delay the mail, but rarely for more than a day or two."

"So if it got delayed... then maybe Asbel's letter will be arriving tomorrow or the day after."

"Mm, that's a possibility," Garrett responded. This time he kept his eyes on the newspaper article. He figured that the boy would shut up eventually if he just agreed with him and didn't offer further input.

"Or maybe a day after that if he was slow in writing it or forgot to send it right away."

"Yes, yes. Certainly." Garrett turned the page without looking up.

"I hope it gets here soon," Hubert mumbled.

"Mm-hmm."

Hubert squirmed in his seat. And was silent for a moment. But only a moment. "What's the longest delay there ever was?"

Garrett was starting to feel fairly irritated at the boy's incessant questioning by now. "Listen Hubert, I cannot give you a one hundred percent reliable estimate of how long it will take. But in the event that there is a bigger problem they might take the land route, in which case you might expect it to take six or seven days. And if there's an even bigger problem than that then I don't know. Now could you please be quiet so I can read the paper?"

"S-sorry," Hubert mumbled and fell silent.

Oh how Garrett currently loathed the maid for suggesting the idea to Hubert. He had naturally given her a severe talking to, as well as instructions for the future, but he wouldn't have had to put up with any of this if he had just given clearer orders to begin with.

* * *

Twenty-one days had passed without any mention of a letter for Hubert.

Every time Hubert asked Garrett about the matter he would receive the same response; he didn't know and couldn't tell him any more about the state of things. Hubert's toys lay on the floor in the exact same spots they had been left in two days ago. His ship models stood unmoved for the same amount of time. Emotions were getting the better of him again and he spent large chunks of his days lying on his bed and sobbing weakly. It was as if all of his previous happiness had been sucked into a giant void.

He heard the sound of someone knocking on his door but didn't respond. Nor did he move when he heard the sound of the door being opened.

"Oh Hubert, are you still moping over that letter?" The voice belonged to Garrett.

"B-but it should have arrived by now," Hubert sniffled. "Why hasn't it?"

Garrett sighed and shook his head. "I had imagined that you would be figuring it out on your own, but I suppose that leaves me no choice but to explain."

Hubert sat up and looked at Garrett. He was confused now. "Explain what?"

"The answer is simple. You haven't received anything because he hasn't written."

"There's no way he wouldn't!" Hubert felt his stomach churn and he dug his fingers into the bed sheets. "The letter just got delayed!"

Garrett cleared his throat. "Actually, it couldn't have. Over the past few days I've received several business letters from the area around Lhant, and they've all made it within the usual four days."

"T-then why?" Hubert's voice cracked. There had to be some reason. There had to.

"There are two possible explanations for this. He has either forgotten about you or he doesn't care about you any longer. Either way you're not of enough importance for him to write you a letter."

The icy claws of despair dug into Hubert's chest. "Asbel doesn't care about me either?" Even after all that effort he had put into writing his response? Was that also not good enough? Tears were welling up in Hubert's eyes again.

"Do you remember what I told you before, Hubert? Those who would toss you aside are not worth your pain. I urge you to forget about him, for your own sake."

* * *

When Garrett closed he door behind him he could hear Hubert's sobs. He didn't enjoy upsetting the boy but there was no way around it.

It was unfortunate that Hubert's source of happiness had turned out to be the idea of exchanging letters with his brother. He was an outside influence that Garrett couldn't allow. Being as far away Lhant made it impossible for Garrett to exert any control over Asbel, which made him unpredictable. This simply presented too great of a risk to his plans. In order to be able to make full use of Hubert Garrett needed to be able to mold the boy as he pleased. He couldn't have some faraway sibling planting ideas that potentially could ruin everything. The sooner Hubert put his past behind him, the better. Such were Garrett's thoughts.

Garrett returned to his study and retrieved the letter that Hubert had written from the top drawer of his writing desk. He supposed that he had studied it enough. Every additional day of keeping it increased the risk of Hubert finding it. Not that the boy was the type who would snoop around, but denial could do strange things to a person so he preferred to be on the safe side of things.

He set fire to the letter that Hubert had written and watched as it smoldered.


	6. The Bespectacled Cousin

Raymond Oswell was a well-known name to the people of Yu Liberte. And what else could be expected when he was the nephew of the famous business magnate Garrett Oswell? Raymond was more than proud to carry the Oswell name and it showed. He had entered military school as soon as his age allowed and had been diligently serving the Strahtan military ever since his graduation. But even more diligently than that had he been serving the Oswell name. There were certain cases where a military position could be highly useful - though his rank still limited Raymond's scope of possibilities. He was looking to change that, however, and worked tirelessly in hope that he would be promoted soon.

But then that boy arrived. That annoying little boy from Lhant.

Their initial meeting happened a month after Garrett had adopted the boy. Raymond had heard of him prior to that, of course.

Their encounter hadn't been planned. Raymond was simply tagging along with his father who was visiting Garrett to ask if this one might pull some strings on his behalf. Such things were routine among the Oswells. A little tug here, a small push there, and everything fell into place so much more nicely.

They stepped inside the main hall where Garrett was sitting on one of the couches, awaiting them. Raymond bowed deeply as Garrett greeted them. He held his uncle in high regard, though his emotions were a mixture of fear and awe. He knew how cunning the man was. Garrett held the power to utterly ruin those who displeased him, and he would make use of it. Raymond had seen it happen more than once. It was never pretty.

"Brother, what a pleasure to see you again. And you as well, Raymond. Sit down, please." Garrett beckoned for them to take the seats directly across from his.

Both of them did without hesitation, Raymond being especially quick about it.

"Indeed, it's been much too long since we last saw each other," Raymond's father spoke.

"Though it would humble me, surely seeing my face in person is not your only concern," Garrett replied, an uneven smile on his face.

The other man hesitated for a moment before he nodded. "In truth, there was a certain thing I wished to discuss..."

Garrett smirked in response. "Ah, yes. As always. It seems that my dear brother is quite needy."

Raymond's father laughed and shook his head, offering false modesty. "Oh, I wouldn't want to impose..."

Whenever those two spoke it was like a strange dance, only in words and gestures. It had always fascinated Raymond and he would watch intently even from a young age, his goal being to one day emulate those masks as well. Even now he paid close attention to the interaction between the two. If he had to choose he'd rather turn out like Garrett. His father wasn't a failure by any standards, but Garrett simply shone so bright that his father's achievements seemed meaningless in comparison.

"Raymond, perhaps you would like to greet little Hubert?"

Raymond snapped out of his trance when Garrett directly addressed him. "Y-yes. I certainly would!"

He wasn't sure whether he actually wanted to, but one didn't simply decline a request from Garrett Oswell. The whole matter of the adoption still confused him. What would his uncle want with some boy from Lhant? The son of a lord, perhaps, but it wasn't like he was the only one of that sort. Nor did he have a single drop of Oswell blood.

He didn't know, but he still followed his uncle's instructions and headed upstairs. He followed the hallway but stopped at the door when he heard sobs coming from the other side. The kid was crying? How could anyone be as ungrateful as to be crying after being adopted by Garrett Oswell? Raymond felt indignant. However, he took a moment to take a deep breath and suppressed the emotion. This was his uncle's decision so he'd best not make a scene. He surely had his reasons. He always did.

* * *

When he heard the sound of the door opening Hubert turned his head to look whether it was Garrett or one of the maids. It turned out to be neither. Entering instead was a bespectacled boy with ginger hair and facial features somewhat resembling Garrett's, clearly several years older than Hubert. Hubert's immediate reaction was to shrink away from the stranger as this one approached him.

"You're... Hubert, right?" The boy asked.

Hubert nodded. No one had told him who this person was, so it seemed unfair that the stranger knew his name. He sniffled and attempted to speak. His voice didn't come out as loud as he had wanted, and it cracked in the middle of his short sentence. Still, it was the best he currently could manage. "Who are you?"

The boy straightened himself and puffed out his chest. "I am Raymond Oswell, nephew to Garrett Oswell and proud soldier of the Strahtan military."

"Oh," Hubert responded, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh? Is that all you can say?" Raymond's face clearly expressed disappointment. "I'm a soldier! I worked really hard for that! Can't you at least try to act impressed?"

"S-sorry, I guess that's nice for you," the end of Hubert's sentence came out barely a murmur. His intent hadn't been to offend.

Raymond huffed. "Listen, I'm quite important. Or at least I'm going to be some day. I'll have you know that this is no place for the meek, but if you listen to cousin Raymond's advice you might yet stand a chance of survival."

"C-cousin? Chance of survival?" He wasn't sure whether Raymond was serious or not, or what he even was referring to, but the survival part sounded scary either way.

"Well, my uncle adopted you so that would make you my cousin. Surely you understand that?"

Hubert looked down and nodded. "...yeah." He wasn't even used to the fact that he had a new father and now there was a cousin too. It all was a bit much for him to take in.

"You were crying just now, weren't you?" Raymond stepped closer and Hubert fought the urge to withdraw.

"N-no, I wasn't!" He didn't want to be ridiculed, so Hubert denied it. His voice, however, refused to play the part.

Raymond rolled his eyes. "Liar, I heard you through the door."

"...eavesdropping isn't nice," Hubert mumbled.

"Yes, but it sure can come in handy at times." Raymond shrugged. "So, you're having difficulties adjusting to Strahta?"

Hubert bit his lip. He wasn't exactly eager to discuss how he felt about the whole situation. In addition, this Raymond person seemed to have questionable morals. "...I miss my brother."

"Miss your brother?" Raymond shook his head. "What nonsense... You're an Oswell now. You have no brother."

"I don't?" His gut felt like ice at the mere idea. Was that really how things worked? Was Asbel no longer his brother?

"Of course not." Raymond crossed his arms. "What you do have now, on the other hand, is a pretty amazing cousin."

"O-oh." The disappointment in Hubert's voice was obvious. He'd much rather have Asbel.

"Hey, don't act like it's a bad thing!" Raymond huffed and crossed his arms. "I can give you all sorts of nifty advice, and show you the nice places around Yu Liberte, and if you beg me I might even spar with you sometime."

Hubert's response came promptly. "C-can I beg you not to spar with me?"

Raymond exhaled sharply and looked at Hubert with an expression of disbelief. "You don't want to?"

He hadn't really been supposed to admit that, had he? Hubert looked down and squirmed. Now there was no way out of explaining. "I don't really like fighting. It's scary."

Raymond groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Listen, it's only scary if you don't know what you're doing. Besides, wouldn't it be a lot scarier if you got attacked and didn't know how to defend yourself?"

Hubert bit his lip and nodded. He had to agree with that. "...yeah."

"See? So I'm going to teach you some tricks later and then we're going to spar."

"O-okay." Hubert didn't really like the idea but it sounded like there was no way around it. This new cousin seemed pushy in all the wrong ways and Hubert found himself hoping that he'd leave the room soon.

Raymond put his hands to his sides and smirked. "All right, it's decided then. Look forward to witnessing the might of Raymond Oswell!" He struck a pose before he turned around and left.

Hubert gave a relieved sigh and thanked whatever powers that had brought about Raymond's departure. He really needed some space to recover from the encounter with his new cousin.

* * *

That was the boy his uncle had decided to adopt? Raymond no longer understood the world. The boy was a crybaby, he hardly knew how to hold a proper conversation, and he was scared of fighting. What could someone like that even be used for? Cheap laughs? Raymond truly was grasping at straws. Straws that also happened to be invisible and located in a different country.

As Raymond walked down the stairs he could hear that his father and his uncle were engaged in a heated discussion. He was just about to enter the main hall when he heard his name mentioned and froze on the spot.

"Please, you have to reconsider this. I promise that Raymond will improve himself." It was his father who was speaking.

"Do you take me for a fool? He may be devoted, but that matters little when he falls short in terms of intellect. Have you not noticed? He is a follower, not a leader." The harsh words came from Garrett's mouth. Raymond felt as though the blood in his veins had turned to ice. Was that truly how his uncle thought of him?

Raymond heard the sound of furniture being pushed back. One of the men must have stood up. Then he heard his father's voice, even louder than previously. "You cannot possibly be serious! You would place some little boy from the countryside above your own nephew, your own flesh and blood?"

"The way the current situation looks, yes. And I believe it to be the prudent choice." Garrett spoke, his tone still perfectly calm.

So that was the situation. Garrett deemed him less competent than a small, foreign boy whose only apparent skill was crying his eyes out. He felt empty, as if something inside of him had just been ripped out. It was an odd sort of pain.

His father's voice faltered. "I beg you, please reconsider this decision. There is still time, and Raymond can-"

"No. The adoption is final. I am not saying that Raymond can no longer be of use, but he will not be taking my place."

Hearing the words caused a glimmer of hope to reappear in the empty void that so suddenly had opened within him. He could still be used. Garrett did not deem him completely worthless. It was a meager comfort, but after his uncle's harsh words Raymond would take even scraps. What he feared most of all was being discarded and losing his purpose.

The tone in his father's voice grew sharper again. "And what if the boy turns out not to be suited for the task? All he's been doing for the past month has been to mope in his room, has it not?"

"In that event I will find an alternative. I do yet have time."

"How can you have faith in someone like that?" His father's tone turned accusatory. Raymond was wondering about the same thing. The boy he had just met hardly seemed like he could become someone capable of taking even Raymond's current place, much less Garrett's. Even so, not all of Garrett's plans were ones he could fathom. Oftentimes the reasons ran deeper than Raymond could see. He found himself wondering if that very fact might be the proof of his own limitations.

Garrett scoffed. "I do not have faith in anything. It is a calculated risk. The boy is intelligent and still young enough to be shaped. I simply believe that this approach yields a higher chance of a favorable outcome."

"I see... so there is no changing your mind then." Raymond's father sounded defeated.

"I'm glad that we seem to have reached an understanding on the matter."

Raymond figured that this was his cue to enter, and naturally to pretend like he hadn't heard any of the preceding conversation. "He's a very timid boy, isn't he?"

"Oh, Raymond." Garrett turned to him and smiled. "Did you have a nice talk with Hubert?"

Raymond had to hand it to the man, he knew how to change his demeanor in an instant. Almost like flipping a switch. He was truly a master of masks. And so cold. So, so very cold. His earlier remark was still tearing Raymond apart on the inside. But keeping it inside was key in the current situation.

He simply nodded. "Yes, I did. We discussed the possibility of me teaching him some basic fighting techniques so that he will know to defend himself."

Garrett's response was a pleased smile. "Indeed. That sounds like a prudent course of action."

It was not a task Raymond wanted to take on, at least not after the conversation he had just overheard. But refusal was not an option. With Garrett it never was. He nodded again. "I trust that you will let me know when the time is suitable."

"Of course. Your willingness is appreciated, Raymond." Again, that fake smile.

"I am happy to be of service." Raymond gave a bow before he turned to take his leave.

How ironic it was that what he admired also was what hurt him so. Though it was not surprising. Upon further reflection what had happened seemed like merely another step in the natural order of things. It had been inevitable all along, regardless of whether Raymond knew or not. He decided that he should consider himself lucky to not have been crushed like so many others but still given the chance to serve. At the same time it had incited a burning rage within him. And the bigger part of it was directed at Hubert.


	7. Shifting Sands

Even though it had been over a month since he arrived in Yu Liberte Hubert still hadn't managed to get used to how different everything was in his new homeland. He was still feeling down often but Garrett had arranged for a private tutor to visit a couple of times each week. The lessons and the accompanying homework were a welcome distraction to Hubert who still found it difficult to swallow the fact that even his brother had lost interest in him. Garrett would also regularly sit down with Hubert to talk about how things were going and offer him some advice.

It was evening and the time had come for another one of their talks. They usually had them after dinner because that was when Garrett usually had the most time to spare. Any sooner in the day and he would be swamped with business meetings. Only lately had it occurred to Hubert how many appointments Garrett must have put off in order to make room for him in the first weeks after he had arrived in Yu Liberte. He cared, even when his own parents had ceased to. Hubert found it a strange idea to get used to, though not entirely a bad one.

"I'm getting the impression that you've been managing better after I arranged that private teacher for you," Garrett said.

Hubert wasn't sure whether that was accurate, so he wrung his hands and wiggled in his seat. What was true was that he'd had less time to focus on his negative emotions. So perhaps the statement was accurate. In a roundabout way. "Mmh." He decided that a sound of acknowledgement was more suitable than a straight up 'yes'.

"It's had me thinking," Garrett paused for a moment and rubbed his chin. "It's about time you got to see some more of your homeland. We've already covered Oul Raye, but that's hardly anything much. I'll also see to that you get to learn your way around Yu Liberte. But before that, I have a different proposal."

Hubert found himself relieved when Garrett expressed that they weren't going to Oul Raye, and he hoped they wouldn't be going in the future either. That place was way too hot. Hubert still found the heat in Yu Liberte to be draining, but the fact that they had Duplemar meant that it was considerably cooler than Oul Raye, despite Oul Raye being a port town and Yu Liberte being located inland. He tilted his head, wondering what Garrett's idea was. "Oh?"

"I'll be going on a business trip in a couple of days. The destination is Sable Izolle. Do you recall where that is located on the map?"  
Hubert shrunk. Now he was wishing that they'd be going to Oul Raye after all. Sable Izolle was surrounded by desert in the same manner as Yu Liberte, was located much further inland, and had no Duplemar to make the temperatures more bearable. It was going to be awfully, awfully hot.

"Do you remember or do you not?"

When Garrett asked again Hubert realized that he'd gotten so preoccupied with his worries about the heat that he'd forgotten to answer the question. "Um, it's a lot further inland. It's a scholar's town." He remembered the last bit from a recent geography lesson. The choice only seemed natural to him. If he had to live in such a scorching place he'd surely also pick an occupation that offered him an excuse to mostly stay out of the sun. There was one thing, however, that he didn't understand. "But what sort of business can you do with scholars?"

Garrett chuckled. "You still have a lot to learn. Knowledge can be a good in its own right. If one knows where to apply the right piece of information one might increase the value at least a tenfold."

"So... you're going to buy knowledge?" Hubert still failed to imagine how that would work in practice. Wasn't knowledge just words? How could one sell words? They were transient things, quick to be spoken and quick to disappear. His expression must have betrayed his feelings, because Garrett went on.

"Consider this. When you buy a factual book you are also buying knowledge. It's the same when ordering a report on a topic. They are simply information in different forms."

Hubert had no problem with understanding that, but the whole idea of buying knowledge that wasn't in a physical format still seemed nebulous to him. He decided to just agree with Garrett for now. Maybe it would be easier to work out once he saw how it happened in practice. "Okay."

Their talk went on for a while longer. Garrett outlined their travel plans and then the conversation turned into Garrett quizzing Hubert on things he'd gone over with his tutor, though he already knew many of them from books. The session ended when a maid knocked on the door and reminded Garrett that he had scheduled visitors.

* * *

When the day arrived they boarded a Turtlez transport that departed early in the morning. Garrett had chosen that time because it would allow them some hours of traveling in more comfortable temperatures as it would take a while for the rising sun to heat the desert. He had more plans for the trip than merely buying information. Hubert seemed to be doing better so Garrett figured that it was time to place some more demands on the boy.

They stopped at an oasis not too far from Yu Liberte. It featured a couple of simple huts and several long rows of banana trees. At the center was a small spring.

Hubert looked at Garrett in surprise when the Turtlez transport came to a halt. "Why are we stopping?"

"I thought that I might as well use the chance to show you more of the land. You have an interest in trade routes so I though that you might like seeing where various Strahtan goods originate." Garrett considered Hubert's thirst for knowledge to be one of his greatest strengths and was more than happy to feed it. He figured that the more the boy came to know, the more useful he would be in the future.

"Now let's get off the transport and take a closer look around, shall we?"

Hubert nodded and followed Garrett when he disembarked. Garrett made his way to the spring and the shade of a cluster of palm trees. While the desert still was relatively cool compared to the normal temperature it was already hotter than Yu Liberte at this time.

"So this is where the bananas come from?"

"A fair amount of them, yes. There are several other plantations like this in the surrounding area."

Hubert tilted his head. "Why don't they just grow the bananas in Yu Liberte? Then they wouldn't have to endure the heat."

"No, that wouldn't work." Garrett shook his head. "The temperature in Yu Liberte is too cool to grow banana trees. They would wither and die."

"They can't grow there because of Duplemar? I didn't know that valkines also could be bad." Hubert looked thoughtful.

"I suppose they can, yes." Garrett required a moment to ponder the notion. He hadn't considered that aspect before. In his world view Duplemar had always been a source of life and prosperity and that was it. But now that Hubert had pointed it out he certainly saw how there also could be downsides. He chuckled to himself, amused that a ten-year old's observation had provided him with food for thought. "It's a minor drawback but I think the positive effects of Duplemar more than make up for it."

Hubert nodded. "I think so too."

After walking around for a little while more they got back on the transport and continued onward.

* * *

They kept making short stops once in a while, giving Hubert his first real opportunity to experience the desert. Surely enough, he had read about the type of terrain in his books and observed it the times they had traveled by Turtlez transport to Yu Liberte's harbor. But the books had never mentioned anything about the fine-grained sand that would fly through the air at the slightest breath of wind, nor the way it tried to get into his nose and caused an unbearable itch. He entertained the thought that Asbel would have had fun kicking up huge dust clouds, but then the thought became too painful and he chased it away. If it was up to him he'd have elected to stay inside the carriage but such was no part of Garrett's plan, who was insistent on telling Hubert about the land.

As they traveled further Hubert found that he didn't particularly like the desert. While he was growing somewhat used to Yu Liberte everything out in the desert seemed hostile and frightening to him. It was as if the land itself didn't want him, the sun burning him with its hot rays as the dry air attempted to draw all moisture out of him. Even the plants were pointing intimidating thorns at him, not that there were many of them. And then there were the sand dunes which went on as far as his eyes could reach. If he hadn't known any better he might have wagered that they were never-ending.

They made fewer stops as the sun rose higher and turned the desert and the inside of the carriage unbelievably hot. Far too hot. Much, much hotter than Oul Raye, in spite of the fact that they were both sitting in the shade. Garrett began fanning himself and Hubert regretted ever having agreed to come along. The heat was making him want to shed his skin and the desert seemed to appear more hostile the longer they traveled. They passed several piles of monster bones and one that looked awfully much like a human's - though Hubert wasn't sure because he had only dared to steal a short glance. Apart from that the only thing in sight was sand, sand, and more sand. What if they got lost and never made it home? What if they also ended up as dry piles of bones in the sand? It didn't seem like such an implausible thought and that made Hubert nervous. He began squeezing the good luck charm given to him by Asbel again, not knowing what else to do about the bad emotions that were piling up. Even though Asbel hadn't responded to his letter Hubert still kept the charm on him at all times. He wasn't sure why. He squeezed the charm harder and hoped that it would get them out of the desert alive.

* * *

By the time the sun was setting they were still in the desert, albeit not in any immediate danger of turning into piles of dry bones. The good luck charm appeared to have done its job in that sense. By the time they stopped for the night Hubert was so tired that he stumbled out of the transport and would have fallen if Garrett didn't catch him. The place they would be spending the night was a small rest stop hut run by Turtlez. The interior was modest but inviting after a long day of traveling. Colorful rugs were spread out on the floor and small tables were scattered around the room. In the corner was a small kitchen where a Turtlez was preparing food. Hubert noted that apart from him and Garrett there was one other pair of travelers, a man and a woman whose clothes were full of sand. They must have walked - he couldn't even begin to imagine what that would be like in the grueling heat.

"Shall we see what's on offer today?" Garrett asked as he nodded in the direction of the kitchen. "It's hardly gourmet food but it's the best we'll find out here."

Hubert was about to answer, but his grumbling stomach was faster. "...yeah."

Dinner was a simple stew so Garrett had been right in that respect, but it was tasty nonetheless. It could probably be chalked up to the effects of hunger and fatigue from traveling the whole day. Not that it mattered, the taste was great and Hubert soon found himself asking for a second helping. When they both were sated they headed to the back of the hut, which had a handful of separate rooms for sleeping. Each was tiny and contained only a bunk bed and a small table, but that was probably about as much as one could expect out in the middle of the desert.

The beds proved to be enough for an exhausted little boy. Hubert fell asleep quickly and didn't wake up before morning. When he did and peeked down to see how Garrett was doing he saw the man sitting at the edge of his bed while rubbing his back and mumbling something about hard mattresses. When Garrett noticed that Hubert too was awake he called him down and they headed for breakfast and then boarded the transport to continue on their way.

* * *

Garrett was still in a sour mood when they started moving, even though they had left at the planned time. His back wouldn't stop aching and he was fairly sure that he'd have bruises from the springs that had been digging into it all night. If he wasn't provided with a better mattress for the next visit then he would personally see to that the entire management of the place was changed, he decided. Turtlez or not, he was Garrett Oswell and expected a certain standard.

Hubert seemed to have slept well enough, which was good. Such were the wonders of youth. Garrett didn't yet consider himself old, but he clearly noticed that his body wouldn't tolerate as much as it had a few years ago. On the other hand, even if there was a way to turn back time he'd be reluctant to use it if that meant losing his experience. It was what had earned him his current place in Strahtan society and would serve to advance it even further. But for the time being his main worry was his aching back. He rubbed it and tried to find a more comfortable position, but any of them that had him reclining just brought back the pain of the previous night. In the end he opted to lean forward instead and avoid any contact between his back and the upholstery.

Garrett decided that they would travel the remainder of the way to Sable Izolle without any rest stops. He wasn't really in the mood to wander around much in his current state, and the sooner he got to a proper mattress to rest his sore body on the better. Even so, staying in nearly the exact same position for hours on end put its toll on him, and he also noticed Hubert growing increasingly fidgety when they'd traveled for several hours without making a single stop. He noted a tiny oasis a distance ahead of them and figured that it would do. It was no more than a couple of huts and a well, but it offered some amount of shade and an opportunity to stretch.

"You're walking strangely," Hubert pointed out when they had disembarked and Garrett was making his way over to the shade of the huts.

"Your incessant fidgeting is magnitudes more conspicuous," Garrett countered. "I thought I had told you that you needed to stop that." He was in no mood to have a ten year old ridicule him, and the issue would have to be addressed at some point anyway. Whether the manner he had brought it up in might be too harsh wasn't one of Garrett's current concerns.

Hubert hung his head. "S-sorry..." He didn't make any further comments after that, nor did he say anything else.

Once Garrett felt that the pain of walking around was once again outweighing the gain he told Hubert to get back onto the transport and they moved on. They made no further rest stops and reached Sable Izolle a few hours before sundown. Garrett didn't bother to stop by any places - it was too late in the day anyway - and headed straight for the inn. It didn't take long before they were provided the biggest room at the inn which, fortunately for the owners, turned out to have sufficiently soft mattresses. This time around the room wasn't a cramped one with a bunk bed, but a spacious suite with two beds and a good view of the town below. Garrett wasn't interested in the view and instead opted to lie down and get ready to sleep. He was expecting Hubert to do the same, so he turned his head when he heard the sound of a page being turned. The source of the sound was Hubert who had retrieved a book from his bag.

Garrett fought to hold back a groan. While the boy's thirst for knowledge presented an issue at the present moment the expected future benefits would more than make up for it. As such Garrett figured that it was better to tolerate some light and the small amount of sound. If falling asleep proved absolutely impossible he could always tell Hubert to put the book aside once the time drew closer to midnight. It turned out not to be an issue at all - Garrett was fast asleep before he knew it.


	8. The Value of Words

Morning in Sable Izolle started off well. When Garrett woke it was a wholly different experience than the one at the Turtlez hut. A little residual stiffness still remained, but he had slept through the entire night and wasn't feeling sore. It was a good start to a day of doing business. He got up and stretched for a bit before he walked over to Hubert. The boy lay on his stomach, his face resting on a still open book. Someone had clearly been reading far too long into the night. Garrett gave him a nudge.

"Mhurrf... ah!" Hubert jolted up, stared at Garrett for a moment, and then stared at the book. After a sitting completely still for a moment he grabbed the book and feverishly ran his hands over it in an attempt to fix its now slightly crinkled pages.

Garrett couldn't help but chuckle at the worried expression on the boy's face. "You seem rather invested."

Hubert stopped his efforts. He bit his lip and looked down. "It's all wrong now."

Garrett leaned closer to get a better look at the book and shrugged. He couldn't see what Hubert was making a fuss about. It was only a book and the amount of damage that remained was minimal. It was possible to see faint lines indicating that the pages had been wrinkled but that was all. "I can hardly tell the difference."

"But I can," Hubert mumbled. "The pages won't go back to being completely straight like before."

"Then let that be a lesson. Put your books aside before you fall asleep."

Hubert silently closed the book and put it down on the beside table. Then he nodded. Garrett allowed Hubert a moment to get ready and then the two of them headed down for breakfast.

* * *

Hubert took in his surroundings with wide eyes when they left the inn and began walking around the town. The architecture was completely different from both Yu Liberte and Oul Raye. The town was spread out over several large platforms of rock connected by wooden bridges that ran across deep chasms running in between.

They had to cross one such bridge in order to reach what looked like the central area of the town. Hubert took a few steps on the bridge before he glanced down. He immediately realized that he'd made a mistake when the height struck such fear into him that he froze on the spot. All of a sudden he felt how the bridge swayed in response to each step Garrett took and he felt as if he might as well be standing on thin air. His hands grew clammy and it felt like someone had poured ice water down his back. By the time Garrett was halfway across the bridge he noticed and turned around to Hubert, who still was standing in the same spot. Hubert still had nine tenths of the bridge to cross but the fear prevented him from moving. He couldn't get out of his mind the image of how far it was to the bottom, and what falling probably would do to a human body.

"Hubert, what are you doing?"

"I... I... too high up," Hubert stammered. He wasn't capable of forming a complete sentence. His left hand was tightly gripping the rope that created a fence on the side of the bridge. He'd have held on to the rope on the right side as well, if not for the fact that his arms wouldn't reach far enough.

Garrett sighed and walked over to him. "The bridge is not going to give way and even if you made an effort to fall down the ropes would stop you. Come."

Hubert remained rooted in place. Even taking a single step seemed impossible. He wished that he hadn't looked down but there was no way he could erase that image now. Every step Garrett took caused the bridge to sway again and only further reminded Hubert that the only thing between him and the bottom of the chasm was a couple of thin wood planks held up by a weathered rope.

The swaying stopped when Garrett came to a halt right in front of Hubert. "What is causing you such worry? The bridge isn't going to come apart."

"So... far down." Hubert bit his lip and looked down at his feet, trying to avoid looking at the chasm as he did. It was harder said than done. His eyes were drawn to a gap between the planks and he raised his head and stared fixedly at Garrett's clothes instead. He knew that Garrett probably was right. Lots of people would use the bridge all the time,so it had to be safe. Rationally thinking there was no danger, and Hubert accepted this. Even so, there was a fear in his body that refused to let him move.

Garrett huffed and scratched his head. Hubert began to fidget. He wasn't trying to be difficult on purpose and he didn't want to anger Garrett, but huffing often meant that a person was about to become angry and that thought made him nervous. He flinched when Garrett spoke again.

"So the possibility of falling is troubling you, is that it?" Garrett's tone was calmer than Hubert had expected it to be, in fact he didn't seem angry at all. Garrett extended his hand. "Here, if you hold on to me you won't fall."

Hubert nodded. "O-okay." He was still feeling lightheaded and numb but taking Garrett's hand and feeling his firm grip offered a sense of security. Then they took the first step. The bridge swayed again and Hubert wanted to stop, but Garrett pulled him along.

"See, it's completely safe," Garrett remarked after a couple of steps.

Hubert nodded even though he didn't agree. Each additional step felt scary but it was manageable when he was holding on to Garrett. When they stepped onto solid ground on the other side Hubert felt the tension is his body disappear. They had made it across. Now all that remained was to watch Garrett do business, which he found a much less scary prospect.

They made their way over to a large tower that had already been visible from the inn. It seemed to mark the center of town and was bustling with activity. Groups of people were gathered outside and having lively discussions in spite of the heat, while there was a steady stream of people entering and leaving the tower. It appeared to be the busiest place in town.

Hubert pointed to the tower. "Is that where you're going to buy information?"

Garrett chuckled. "Indeed. You're perceptive."

The inside of the tower was even more lively. It was also noticeably cooler than the outside. In addition to all the people who were talking or walking around, or both, there were all sorts of strange devices scattered around. Some glowed, others produced ticking sounds, others again moved, and some appeared to be doing nothing at all. One such device made Hubert jump when it emitted a loud humming sound when he accidentally brushed against it.

"Careful, we wouldn't want to break any of their delicate instruments," Garrett commented.

"Sorry," Hubert mumbled and from that point on he paid close attention to not get too close to any of the devices. The tradeoff was that he wound up bumping into people instead.

Garrett talked to a lot of people that Hubert guessed to be researchers because they all talked in very technical terms and dressed in a similar way. Garrett would talk to them about their inventions and various technologies and, if they were reluctant to answer a question he'd sometimes slip them some gald and promptly receive a response. Was that what he had meant by buying information? Hubert didn't quite understand. How did Garrett figure out if the information was worth buying when he didn't know what it entailed? He decided to not pay it too much mind and just tag along and focus on not bumping into any machines. One other thing he noticed was that Garrett also mentioned other people as he talked, and what he guessed to be companies. The researchers wouldn't always have much to say, but sometimes they'd hesitate and Garrett would again offer some gald in exchange for a response.

Garrett talked and talked and Hubert noticed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his focus on Garrett and the other person. He'd find himself staring at some nearby apparatus, or a glowing blob inside of a machine, or the shoes of the person Garrett was talking to, or even just a random spot in the air. He still heard what they were saying and was able to follow the conversation, but as time went on he was straining to separate them from the background noise made up of devices humming and people talking. The noisy, crowded atmosphere was taking its toll on him. He guessed that he still was too used to quiet Lhant. He did his best to push away the thought and tried to guess what the function of the apparatus closest to him possibly could be.

"Hubert!"

He flinched at the sound of Garrett's voice which was loud enough for his brain to register it as a distinct sound. Garrett's voice and the background murmur became two separate entities again. The former had his arms crossed and was regarding Hubert with a frown.

"I expect you to put in more effort than this. I've taken you along on this trip as a learning experience and you are to pay close attention. Is that understood?"

Hubert hung his head and wrung his hands. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." Garrett's voice was cross. "Whether you meant to or not, the fact is that you were completely off in your own little world. Now, will you pull yourself together?"

What Garrett was saying was harsh, but it wasn't untrue. Hubert bit his lip and looked up. He found that he had a hard time meeting Garrett's eyes so he looked at his mouth instead, hoping that Garrett wouldn't notice the difference. "...yes."

After that Hubert forced himself to keep his focus on the conversations Garrett was having. Or at least make it look that way. The voices soon melted into the background noise and Hubert could only make out occasional words, but as long as he was looking in Garrett's general direction and nodded or tilted his head once in a while he didn't hear any complaints. Keeping that up took surprisingly much effort so Hubert felt relieved when Garrett finally turned and made his way to the exit.

* * *

Once Garrett was content with his information gathering he turned and headed for the exit of the tower, Hubert trailing closely behind him. He wondered if he'd perhaps gotten a bit too sharp in his tone when Hubert's attention had lapsed. On the other hand, his approach had produced immediate results and Hubert had paid his full attention to the discussions after that point. Garrett concluded that he had handled it in the right manner. After all, he couldn't keep going easy on the boy for all eternity.

It was about midday and time for lunch. Garrett could hear Hubert's stomach growl and sensed that his own was close to doing the same thing. He decided on a small restaurant just down the street from the tower. It wasn't as exquisite as the restaurant in Oul Raye but it was the best Sable Izolle had to offer. The decorations were a mix of landscape paintings and scrolls that described cryas technology or other inventions, most likely in an attempt to go for a scholarly theme in line with the town's reputation. The idea was nice but the actual execution struck Garrett as half-hearted. At least they served decent meals.

It didn't take long before Garrett and Hubert were seated at a table at the back of the restaurant. Garrett had ordered a steak while a Rockgagong special from the kids' menu sat on a plate in front of Hubert. In actuality it was just minced meat that had been formed into a blob that was supposed to resemble the famous creature residing in the desert outside of Sable Izolle. Said resemblance was sorely lacking.

"Why is it interesting to know what other people are doing?" Hubert asked before he cut a piece off the blob on his plate and began to chew.

Garrett quirked an eyebrow. "Hmm? What are you referring to?"

It was quiet for a moment, as Hubert still needed to chew and swallow the bite before he could answer. "You were asking about it a lot in the tower."

It still took a moment before things clicked into place in Garrett's mind. Oh, of course, the boy was asking about when he'd been gathering information on the competition. Though Garrett wasn't about to provide the answer that easily. "Well, what do you think the purpose was?"

Hubert stayed silent. He first tilted his head to one side, remained in that position for a moment, then tilted his head to the other side. "Uuh... You like to know what is happening?"

Garrett's response was a chuckle. "I suppose that's true in a sense. However there's more to it than just knowing. Based on the information one can also consider which actions are the best to take. Consider this scenario; You sell bananas. Yu Liberte's demand for bananas increases just enough that one new plantation would satisfy it. Now, you hear that a competitor wants to invest in a new plantation to meet the demand. What do you do?"

"Hmm..." Hubert looked like he was deeply concentrating. "There's no need for more than one, so if both built a new plantation there'd be too many bananas, right? So we shouldn't build one because the others already are going to."

"You are partly correct, but your reasoning is flawed." Garrett leaned forward. "It is true that two plantations would lead to a surplus of bananas, which wouldn't be beneficial for either party. However, the key to this problem is that you've heard that a competitor wants to invest in a plantation, but that's as far as they've gone. The best thing to do in this scenario is then to clearly show them that you will build a plantation, for instance by acquiring some land and publicly announcing your intentions. It'll be even more believable if you set in motion the necessary preparations to use the land for a plantation."

Hubert's face displayed a puzzled expression. "But isn't it bad if there are two plantations?"

"There won't be. Your competitor also knows that two plantations will lead to losses for both of you. Because you've already started building one it won't be attractive for them to do the same. In essence, you've blocked their ability to make use of the opportunity because you were able to make a decisive move first."

Hubert's initial response was silence, but then his eyes widened. "Oh! So if you knew that they started building you wouldn't do anything because then you'd lose, right?"

Garrett smirked. The boy was quick to catch on. "Indeed. There are several other ways in which such information can be employed. The key is that by learning about your competitors' likely next moves and predicting their actions you're able to make better decisions for yourself."

* * *

Hubert listened with great curiosity as Garrett explained to him the various ways to read a competitor's moves, and which factors that needed to be taken into account when doing so. It was a new way of thinking but it also felt logical and followed a set of rules. Once the information had been obtained and analyzed it became easy to tell what moves to respond with, but sometimes there would be two or more possibilities depending on what one expected the competitor to do. Knowing which option to pick, Garrett told him, was an art in the same manner of negotiating. One developed a sense for it over time.

When they had finished eating they wandered around town for a bit, while Garrett explained about the notable locations. After that they headed back to the inn. But before that, there still was the bridge. Garrett refused to hold Hubert's hand this time, meaning that Hubert spent what felt like a small eternity agonizing over the crossing. In the end he managed, but only with great effort and tightly gripping the rope on the side of the bridge. Garrett remarked that it had looked more like Hubert had been attempting to scale a steep cliff. Hubert didn't respond and only looked down, still shaken from the experience. At least the inn was right ahead. Just as they had gone up the stairs and entered their room Garrett came to a halt.

"Oh, how silly of me. There is one more business transaction I should take care of. I doubt that it would be of much interest to you, so feel free to wait here."

"Okay." Hubert figured that it would be hard to always remember every single task to be done when one had as many as Garrett did. Though he wondered what sort of transaction it might be he was happy that he didn't have to come along and had a chance to relax. When Garrett had left the room Hubert climbed onto the bed, laid down on his back and let his thoughts wander freely.

* * *

After descending the stairs Garrett looked behind him to ensure that Hubert hadn't decided to follow him instead. When there was no one in sight he continued on, and he felt relief when he saw Hubert's face through the window to their room on the second floor. He continued through the town, occasionally sneaking glances to check if anyone seemed to be paying undue attention to him. He made sure to do it in inconspicuous ways, such as pretending to inspect the details of a building more closely or using a reflection to see behind him. If anyone asked why he'd stop now and then he could claim to have an interest in the local architecture. After a while longer of walking he reached his destination - an entrance to the basement of a building which was hidden away from view by the other structures surrounding it.

That fact made it a perfect location for the sorts of discussions that weren't for everyone's ears. He knocked on the door and was greeted by a voice coming from the other side.

"I'm sorry, we're closed today."

A person not in the know would have turned around upon hearing the phrase, but Garrett knew the code. They were asking for the password. He preferred to work with people who took proper precautions. "I've come to discuss the new lands."

A click resounded as a key was turned in its lock and the door was promptly opened. It was closed and locked again as soon as he had passed through. It was a sign that these were people he could work with. He preferred to send others when he could, but some things were of such importance that handling them in person was unavoidable.

"Now then, it looks like everyone has gathered already," Garrett said as he walked over to a table that only had one unoccupied seat left. He sat down and rubbed his hands together. "I will take the liberty of starting the discussion. All of us who are gathered here have higher ambitions for their countries than the average citizen, so why don't we start by outlining what visions we have for the future?"

Not that he was going to spill his - not the whole truth of it at least. This was a game in the exact same manner as his business negotiations, with the sole difference that the stakes were higher and this game would go on for a long, long time before the rewards could be reaped. But one day he would have them, Garrett felt certain of that.

* * *

Hubert didn't know how much time had passed when Garrett returned, but he knew that it was a considerable amount. He sat up when he heard the sound of the door being opened. "How did the negotiations go?"

Garrett walked over to his bed, sat down and shrugged. "I suppose it was a decent result. Time will show whether they make for reliable business partners."

"So even you can't always tell?" That surprised Hubert. He'd gotten the impression that nothing escaped Garrett in the context of business negotiations.

Garrett shook his head. "It's not that exactly. It's more of... it concerns a long-term matter, thus it's difficult to predict how all the factors will affect things over time."

"Oh." Hubert tilted his head. That sounded complex. "But is it going to be okay?"

Garrett's response was a laugh. "Why, are you doubting my abilities? I have some tricks up my sleeve for dealing with unreliable business partners. It'll merely mean a bit more work for me if things turn out that way."

"What sorts of tricks?" Hubert felt like that was a thing he'd probably also be expected to learn about.

Garrett shook his head. "That's a topic for another day. I've booked a small surprise for you, so you should get ready to venture out again."

"A surprise?" Hubert hadn't expected that. He'd thought that they were done for the day, or at least with the going outside part.

Garrett gave a wave of his hand. "Just follow me and it will become clear soon enough." He stood and walked over to the door, then motioned for Hubert to follow.

And Hubert did, wondering what this new development was all about.


	9. A Rocky Affair

Hubert followed Garrett to the edge of town, wondering what sort of surprise Garrett had in store for him. He hoped it wasn't some intricately prepared negotiation game, or a test where he would be supposed to gather information in the same manner as Garrett had earlier in the day. Hubert felt a knot in his stomach when he realized that either of those scenarios would be a very real possibility. If that was the plan he ought to prepare for harsh words from Garrett, Hubert figured, as he didn't think he'd do well at either task. He slipped one hand into his pocket and began fiddling with the charm he had received from Asbel before he left Lhant. It helped him calm down some.

Their destination turned out to be a spot where a wooden carriage was waiting along with a group of people. Pulling it were two creatures that resembled cows but had beast-like features and visibly more muscle. He guessed that it might be some sort of extra hardy crossbreed. The carriage itself had colorful banners that read 'Rockgagong Safari' draped across the sides. Hubert watched with wide eyes. What he saw in front of him didn't match either of the scenarios he had been expecting.

Unable to figure the situation out on his own, he turned to Garrett. "Um... what is going to happen?"

"Why, isn't that obvious? We're going on a Rockgagong safari."

"Rockgagong safari?" Then the pieces clicked into place in his mind. It was probably yet another one of Garrett's attempts to cheer him up. Hubert couldn't help but feel guilty. Garrett had tried so many things but they hardly helped for more than a couple of hours at most. Then he'd be back to missing his old family in Lhant and looking sullen. He didn't enjoy being the object of wasted effort. At the same time Garrett just didn't seem to get that the only thing he wanted was to see Asbel and his parents again. But the trouble was, they didn't want him. Not even Asbel. Hubert squeezed the charm in his pocket harder and stayed still as he fought back the tears yet again.

Garrett regarded him with a puzzled expression. "Is something the matter? Do you have any objections?"

Hubert shook his head, feeling like he wouldn't be able to say any words without choking on them. No, the safari idea was fine. That wasn't the problem.

"Asbel would be really excited about this," Hubert mumbled looking down at the ground.

This earned a huff from Garrett. "You're still thinking about that? He's not worth the effort if he can't even respond to a simple letter."

Garrett's words stung, but probably because he was right. There still hadn't been any sign of a letter, and it didn't seem likely either given the amount of time that had passed since Hubert sent his. Hubert nodded.

Garrett looked like he was satisfied with the response. "Now that we've established as much, we ought to get going. They have a schedule to follow and it wouldn't do for them to leave without us."

Hubert agreed with that, so he nodded and quickly followed Garrett so they could board the carriage.

* * *

It was midday by the time they set out and the sun scorched the barren desert. The creatures pulling the carriage - whatever they were called - did their job well and they moved along at a steady pace. It occurred to Garrett that he had forgotten to ask how long the tour would take, which was an unusual oversight for a man with a schedule as busy as his. He chalked it up to the fact that he'd been concentrating so intensely earlier in the day.

The scenery appeared to quiver and dance in the hot air. While the carriage had a cloth roof to provide the passengers some shade the heat still remained intense. Garrett found himself regretting that he hadn't opted for an earlier tour so they'd have been able to enjoy lower temperatures. Then again, business came first and he was rather pleased with the results of the day. Going on the safari first might have seen him less focused in his information-gathering, and that would be a highly undesirable side effect. It was better to simply endure the heat.

Garrett noted that Hubert regarded the landscape with curiosity. The carriage held several pairs of binoculars but not enough for every person. Garrett and Hubert had been handed a pair and Hubert was currently using it to look at things in the distance. What things they were Garrett didn't know, as Sable Izolle now was a tiny speck behind them and there only was sand in front of them. No matter, the boy was occupied and Garrett figured that it probably was a good thing.

Hubert put down the binoculars after a while and grew to look disinterested as the trip dragged on. Garrett couldn't blame him as the route hardly offered much to look at. They slowly trekked across large sand dunes that reached all the way to the horizon. This side of the desert had even less to offer than the usual route. Apart from the famous Rockgagong, that was, but they had yet to see any trace of it. Garrett's mind wandered to various business matters that would need taking care of once they returned to Yu Liberte. An unrelated idea also crossed his mind - or perhaps it could be considered related in a bigger sense - the part that mattered was that it seemed like something worth trying at that moment. Still, he reasoned that it could also just be the heat getting to him, so he decided to hold it off for further evaluation at a later time.

"Look!"

He snapped out of his thoughts when someone, it turned out to be Hubert, tugged on his sleeve. The boy was using one hand to point into the distance while he was offering a pair of binoculars with the other.

"Mm? Did it show up yet?"

"It's over there," Hubert repeatedly pointed in the same direction as before. Everyone else in the carriage already seemed to have their heads turned the same way. "It far away but you can see it better with these." He once again offered the binoculars.

Garrett accepted them this time. Adjusting them and figuring out how to hold them in relation to his glasses took a bit of trial and error but eventually he became able to see a grayish-brown spot in the distance. He further adjusted the binoculars and could make out a few more details, as well as see a cactus that made visible how huge the creature was. It had to be the Rockgagong, no doubt.

"Hmm, I must say that it's size is rather impressive. I wonder if we will be getting any closer?" Garrett remarked.

"Um, the carriage has stopped, so I don't think so," Hubert pointed out as he looked down and pressed his fingertips against one another.

"I see." Garrett hadn't noticed before but now he also registered that they had come to a halt.

"It's because there are rules in place that say that guided tours can't get too close to the Rockgagong, so it won't feel stressed or scared," Hubert explained, even though Garrett never had asked.

Garrett raised an eyebrow. It didn't cease to surprise him how much information the boy picked up, even though some of it was rather random and not of much use. "I suppose that makes sense." He lowered the binoculars and handed them to Hubert. "Here, I'm done. Why don't you have another look?"

* * *

Hubert was able to observe the Rockgagong for a while longer before the carriage turned around and made its way back to town. Even then he kept watching the creature until it vanished beneath a sand dune - though the main reason he kept his eyes on it was the difficulty of finding any other objects of interest that he could look at instead. That, and he was sort of worried that the huge creature suddenly might decide to turn around and charge at them, for reasons he didn't know. In that sense it was both a relief and a disappointment when the creature disappeared from view. Now there was only sand left and with nothing to distract him Hubert once again became acutely aware of the overwhelming heat. Hubert decided that the carriage needed a sprinkler system. Or fountain arches like the ones they had in Yu Liberte. The fact was that it didn't have either, and fantasizing about did nothing to help.

Hubert turned his thoughts back to the Rockgagong in an attempt to distract himself. Seeing it had been interesting but he was happy that they'd kept a good distance. Getting too close to a creature like that was asking for trouble - meaning that Asbel probably would have hopped off the carriage and suggested just that. Hubert sighed. Another Asbel thoughts. Those never seemed to end. He shook his head and attempted to focus solely on the Rockgagong again. If he was getting close to that creature it would be in the form of the minced meat Rockgagong from the children's menu, end of story.

He soon ran out of Rockgagong thoughts and wound up slumped over the side of the carriage. At some point he nearly dozed off. A nudge from Garrett returned him to the present.

Garrett smiled at him. "Getting sleepy, are we? Worry not, you'll be able to rest at the inn soon enough." He pointed in the direction the carriage was heading. "Sable Izolle isn't far off now. Look, you can see the town in the distance."

"Oh," Hubert mumbled before his eyes closed of their own accord and he drifted off.

* * *

The fact that the boy had fallen asleep in the carriage and refused to wake up didn't line up with Garrett's plans. He decided that it was too short of a distance to warrant calling a transport, not to mention that it would have an added cost in terms of time and evening was already falling. The course of action was obvious, even if demanding more physical exertion than he liked. He sighed and gently picked the boy up. It was the easiest option.

He carried Hubert all the way to their room and tucked him in. Afterwards he headed downstairs and indulged in a drink, figuring that he was deserving of one. He rounded off the evening with a leisurely walk around the town and then went to sleep as well.

Things proceeded quickly the next morning as they were set to head back to Yu Liberte. Garrett and Hubert had a quick breakfast and then boarded a Turtlez transport, again early in the day in order to avoid some of the heat. The first half of the day was uneventful and they only made one small stop in order to be able to stretch their legs.

Garrett had chosen a small oasis surrounded by palm trees as their rest stop. The temperatures were still high in the shadows. He swatted away some insects - they all gathered by the water, of course. Still, it was better than roasting in the sun. He rested his back against the rough trunk of a palm tree and looked down at Hubert who had followed him. The boy would never be trailing far behind, as if he was scared of being left on his own. Which perhaps was the case, given that he was a jumpy and easily frightened child.

"Say, Hubert, how would you feel about taking fighting lessons?" It was mostly a passing thought on Garrett's part. An idea, that knowing how to defend himself might help to do something about Hubert's nervousness.

"F-fighting lessons? As in battling things?"

Garrett resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Oh, wonderful. The boy was already stammering. How could such a bright mind come bundled with so many shortcomings? Garrett had lamented the fact more than once.

"First and foremost sparring with a tutor. I was merely thinking that it ought to come in handy if you knew some techniques to defend yourself. The world may be stable at present, but there is no telling what may happen in the future." Well, Garrett himself did know that there were forces in motion, as he would play a part in the coming upheaval. Even so he still found it too early to start betting on outcomes. They yet had a long time to go, and the situation would largely depend on how everyone's egos played into it.

Hubert was looking down at the ground and mumbling. "I don't know... it's scary and someone could get hurt..."

Garrett sighed. He should have known that the answer would sound something like that. There was the option of forcing the boy, of course, but Garrett reasoned that acting rashly and traumatizing the boy only would cause trouble in the long run. No, it would be much better if he slowly could coax the boy into accepting the proposition. It would take longer but the boy was young and he still had time. Garrett straightened himself and motioned for Hubert to follow him.

"Come. We'll be moving now."

They once again boarded the Turtlez transport and the journey continued. When they reached the Turtlez rest stop around sunset Garrett's first course of action was to demand a room with a proper mattress, which he did in no uncertain terms. Then they sat down to eat. Garrett brought up the idea of fighting lessons once more as he and Hubert ate dinner, but decided to put it off for a while when the boy stammered something at him in response before he even could finish half of his sentence. He instead spent the rest of the evening quizzing Hubert about recent sights and events.

They quickly moved on the following morning, but not before Garrett exchanged some stern words with the Turtlez merchant in charge of the rest stop. The mattress had indeed been better than the previous one, but it still was a far cry from the one in Sable Izolle and Garrett's back was aching once again. It hadn't been an issue in the past, so Garrett reasoned that something about the mattresses must have changed. The Turtlez merchant attempted to counter with the suggestion that the issue might lie with Garrett's body, which elicited a thinly-veiled threat from Garrett and did nothing to improve his mood. At the very least Hubert didn't comment on his walk this time.

Garrett ordered the transport to return directly to Yu Liberte. Once again he was in no mood for dillydallying, and he figured that he had shown Hubert enough on their way to Sable Izolle. The trip went smoothly, save for one incident where a pack of small monsters attempted to attack the transport. Their bravado was revealed to be a fragile thing when one determined stomp from the giant turtle sent the monsters scattering in all directions. The rest of the time was uneventful and left Garrett plenty of time to think - and unluckily plenty of time to agonize over his aching back.

By the time they arrived in Yu Liberte, Garrett felt quite certain that the idea that had popped into his mind during the Rockgagong safari was worth turning into reality. Hubert was still moping over the separation from his brother and was turning down fighting lessons that could have served to help rebuild his self-esteem. What then would be a better course of action to provide him with a replacement brother? He saw no need to adopt, not to mention that trying to make sense of one child was enough of a hassle. No, he simply needed to provide someone who would make an adequate sibling figure, and because Hubert tended to act as the responsible party Garrett could employ looser criteria for the makeshift sibling. He already had a candidate in mind, and he knew that this specific candidate wouldn't possibly dare to refuse him.

* * *

"Raymond, I have a favor to ask of you."

Garrett dropping by his brother's home was a rarity and Raymond knew that it had to indicate an important matter. Even more unusual was the fact that Garrett had specifically called for Raymond. At the present moment Raymond stood stiffly at attention in the hallway. Might Garrett have come to his senses after all, regarding the issue of succession? He dared to hope. "Yes?" he asked, trying not to sound excited.

"Little Hubert still misses his brother so. I believe that we are in need of a replacement."

By the time the words 'little Hubert' had made their way out of Garrett's mouth Raymond already knew that his hopes were not turning into reality. No, this was once again about appeasing Hubert, a task that Garrett put far too much effort into in Raymond's opinion. "A... replacement?"

Garrett nodded. "Yes, and I believe that you would be suited for the task."

Raymond felt his face grow hot. First that little brat stole his place and now he was expected to play the part of an older brother? It galled him to no end, but he knew better than to display his emotion in front of Garrett. Instead he gave a deep bow. "Then it shall be so."


	10. Streets of Yu Liberte

Raymond grumbled to himself as he walked through the busy streets of Yu Liberte with a young boy trailing behind him. He had been okay with the idea of teaching the boy a thing or two about fighting - well, maybe not okay but it was a thought he could stand - but had never elected to be his babysitter. Yet that was what he had been relegated to for the day. A day that barely even had started, and he already loathed it. Though that was perhaps more of the boy's fault. Not the boy in himself, but the role he had been chosen to occupy.

Raymond still failed to see how the runt ever could replace Garrett Oswell. For the short time they had been outside he had already jumped in fright at a stray cat, a lady who dropped a bag of apples, and a window being opened. A window, for crying out loud. For all his cunning Raymond knew that his uncle still was capable of mistakes, and he frankly thought that this was one of the bigger ones he had made. But perhaps that meant that there yet was a chance of proving to Garrett that he had been wrong. If Raymond could improve himself enough then perhaps Garrett would reconsider his decision?

Raymond's train of thought was broken when he heard a weak yelp from behind him. Something had scared Hubert again.

"Are you done being frightened yet, Hubert?" Raymond growled. The boy was now slowing down every time they passed a window, which happened approximately all the time. The resulting pace was unbearably slow. "They're just windows. Inanimate objects. Can you hurry up?"

"Swords are also inanimate objects and they can kill people," Hubert pointed out.

Even though the boy's logic was correct Raymond couldn't help but snap at him. "Yes, but windows normally don't."

"S-sorry..."

Raymond grabbed Hubert's hand and pulled him along. If he wasn't going to walk any faster then Raymond would make him, otherwise he'd never be able to give him a decent tour of the town in just one day.

"W-wait, aah!"

There was a crucial flaw in Raymond's plan. He tugged too suddenly and Hubert was unable to stay on his feet. He knew what was going to happen as the boy's small hand slipped out of his grip and he turned his head quickly enough to still see him fall. Just wonderful. Now he was left with a crying boy with a skinned knee. Why was he doing this again? Ah, right, because his uncle had requested it. The sacrifices he made for the sake of the family name...

* * *

Hubert hadn't meant to start crying but the fall was the final droplet that caused the bucket to run over. They had started out with what Raymond told him was usually the busiest district of town. There were so many people and things happening that Hubert had trouble keeping track of it all. He was trying to watch out but then there would inevitably be something he had failed to register that would jump out at him and spook him. Making matters worse was that this clearly irritated Raymond.

"Hey, get back up. It's just a scrape. Boys don't cry over stuff like that," Raymond huffed.

Hubert sniffled a couple more times and nodded. It wasn't really that the knee bothered him so much or hurt a lot. The pressure of everything combined had just gotten to be too much for a moment.

"Yes," Hubert mumbled as he rubbed his knee and stood up. There it was again, the questioning of his gender based on how he reacted. It had happened plenty of times back in Lhant too, even Cheria poked fun at him for it at times. He thought it unfair because it wasn't his fault that he reacted the way he did. That was just how it always had been.

Raymond sighed deeply. "Listen, you've got to toughen up. No one wants to put up with a crybaby."

Hubert bit his lip and looked down. Everyone said that. Or they didn't say it directly but made fun of him for it. That was probably part of the reason his parents had decided that they didn't want him anymore. Would Garrett also grow tired of it at some point? He couldn't see any signs of that but neither had he suspected anything before his parents suddenly sent him away. His stomach began to churn. What if the same thing was going to happen again, and he failed to see the warning signs?

"Hubert? Snap out of it. We're moving on. It's just a scrape, you're not even bleeding."

"Y-yes, sorry," Hubert muttered as he sped up in order to catch up with Raymond who already had started walking. They were going a bit slower now, probably because Raymond didn't want him to trip again. Hubert appreciated it regardless of the reason. It made it easier for him to process the surroundings and less things caught him off-guard.

* * *

Raymond noted that Hubert seemed to get less fussy when they moved on to a quieter section of the city. He decided that he'd try to keep away from the busiest routes for the rest of the walk in order to save himself some trouble. The boy would get a decent impression of the place anyway, and it wasn't like he'd be able to tell the difference. As long as he reported to Garrett that Raymond had done a good job of showing him around everything would be in order.

They were walking through a narrow side street in order to avoid a busy plaza when Hubert abruptly stopped. It puzzled Raymond as the street was essentially empty.

"What's wrong this time? There's nothing here."

"I... I can hear something." Hubert had curled his hands into fists and was holding them up protectively in front of his chest. He seemed to do that a lot when something was making him nervous. Raymond failed to see the point of it. In his opinion it just looked odd.

"Quit complaining and follow me. I don't hear a thing." He reached out for Hubert's hand again, but this time it prompted the boy to move on his own. He probably didn't want to risk scraping his other knee.

They moved for a little while but then Hubert stopped again.

"I still hear it. It's closer now." He turned his head and looked around with a worried expression on his face. "I think it's coming from there." Hubert pointed to a shadowy alleyway.

"Oh quit it-" Raymond had already taken a couple of steps forward when his ears also picked up the sound. It was a low growl, possibly that of a dog. He turned his head in order to determine where the sound came from but he couldn't make out whether the source was the alleyway or the animal was further down the street. Though he couldn't see anything further down the street, making the alleyway a more likely candidate. As he focused his attention on it once more he could see the outline of a large dog that was moving in their direction. It was baring its teeth.

The rest happened in the blink of an eye. The dog lunged at Hubert who stood the closest and was an easier target due to his small size. Raymond leapt just in time to knock the dog aside. It landed on its feet and turned to Raymond as it growled. It looked like his actions had caused it to mark him as the new primary target. That suited him fine as he wouldn't have to worry as much about keeping Hubert out of harm's way.

Raymond drew his sword and adapted a dueling stance. "Try me, mongrel!"

The dog didn't hesitate. It lunged at Raymond for a second attack, jaws open wide. Raymond hopped backwards just in time to avoid the dog's sharp set of teeth. What he hadn't counted on was how quickly the dog managed to follow up with a second attack. He gritted his teeth in order to avoid screaming when the animal sank its fangs deep into his right leg. He felt a surge of energy in response to the pain. He kicked his leg in an attempt to shake the beast off, but that only had the opposite effect. When he realized the futility of it he raised his blade and hit the dog hard on the head with the flat side. Slicing off the head would have been easier, but he couldn't do that in front of Hubert. He kept hitting the dog until it gave up and ran back into the alleyway with its tail between his legs. Then he dropped to the ground.

"Raymond," Hubert cried out and ran over to him. The boy stopped abruptly and turned pale. "Y-your leg... it's..."

"Yeah, it's a mess." Raymond smiled weakly as he tried to play it cool. "But you're not and that's the important thing." He turned his head in order to take a closer look at the wound and realized that a pool of blood was quickly forming beneath his leg. There was a huge gash in his leg and he was pretty sure that the bite went all the way to the bone. The thought had him feeling lightheaded. Or maybe it was the blood loss. "Ouch... doesn't look too good."

Hubert walked closer and squatted beside Raymond. He lifted his hands over Raymond's injured leg, but instead of bringing them down to press on the wound he froze with his hands a few centimeters from the leg. Raymond produced a dry chuckle. Of course, the wimp was too scared of the blood. That was to be expected, he was just a kid after all.

The problem was that they were in a completely empty street and Raymond was starting to feel increasingly dizzy. The pool of blood beneath him only kept growing. How much had he lost? He lost his balance for a moment and had to lean on both of his arms in order to avoid falling over. Hubert's expression grew even more worried and Raymond could see tears forming in the boy's eyes. Whole lot of good that was going to do him.

"Hey, you'd better run for help than-" Raymond cut himself off when he noticed that Hubert's hands were beginning to glow. The boy looked just as surprised as him, if not even more.

Raymond watched with increasingly wide eyes as the glow intensified and he began to feel the pain lessen. By the time the glow faded away the surface of his wound had healed enough for the bleeding to stop. He was still feeling woozy but the biggest problem had been solved, though in a manner that was so unexpected that he half wondered if he had passed out and was merely hallucinating.

"Did you just use a healing arte?"

Hubert hurriedly pulled back his hands. "I-I don't know!"

Raymond rubbed his forehead. Didn't know? People didn't just use healing artes by accident, especially not little kids. "Don't lie to me. Have you been practicing in secret? If that's the case I'll be forced to report to uncle. Cryas artes aren't toys and you could get hurt if you lost control." He suddenly felt proud of himself. That had sounded like a very responsible line. It really was too bad that Garrett hadn't been around to hear it.

Hubert bit his lip and looked down. He began to fidget. "But... I didn't."

"If you're telling the truth then how come you're not looking at me?" Raymond was convinced that Hubert must have been practicing in secret. There was no way he'd have been able to pull off such a feat without it.

"B-because," Hubert trailed off and his fidgeting intensified. "I-I don't know..."

Raymond kept prodding but Hubert kept insisting that he didn't know. It was strange. The longer Raymond kept it up the more apologetic Hubert seemed but his answer still wasn't changing. In the end Raymond decided that there was no point in wasting time over the matter. "Okay, so it just happened. You don't know why, I don't know why. But try not to do that again, okay? Someone might get hurt."

Hubert nodded earnestly. "Yeah..."

"Ugh." Raymond groaned and pulled himself back up on his feet. Even though the wound had closed it still stung and he would need treatment to prevent possible infections. He still felt weak due to the blood loss. "There's a clinic not too far from here. I think I should have them take a look at the wound."

Hubert was gnawing on his lip and shifting his weight from side to side. "Umm... what should I do?"

"Just follow me. We'll head back to uncle's manor when I'm done at the clinic."

* * *

Hubert stayed in the waiting room while a healer took care of Raymond's wound. He felt confused and he felt terrible. The dog had been meaning to attack him, not Raymond, and Raymond had gotten hurt because he protected him. But then that strange light had appeared and healed Raymond's wound. Hubert lifted his hands and looked at them. They appeared completely ordinary by now and there was no sign of any glow, however faint. The sensation, however, was still fresh in his memory. The light had been warm, but in a comforting way.

Raymond emerged with a bandage wrapped around his leg and a goofy grin on his face. "Look, cousin Raymond's all fixed up and ready to go!"

Hubert wasn't sure who Raymond was trying to impress. The nurse next to him maybe? This one merely elbowed him in the side for his troubles. "Ready to go home and rest. For three days at minimum. And avoid putting unnecessary strain on the leg."

"Ow! Yeah, yeah, I remember the instructions." Raymond laughed and pulled Hubert along.

When they had left the clinic Hubert stopped and tugged at Raymond's coat. "She said you shouldn't strain your leg. Maybe it's better if we take a Turtlez transport home?"

"Oh, yeah. It probably is."

Luckily for Raymond they found a Turtlez merchant on the adjacent street and as such it didn't take long before a transport was in place for them.

Raymond sighed contentedly as he sat back in the carriage. "Being an Oswell has its perks, huh?"

Hubert stayed silent. He still wasn't sure whether he really wanted to be an Oswell. Not that it was like he had any choice in the matter at this rate. But he guessed that it was good that he had Raymond around, or he'd not have been anything at all by now.

* * *

When Garrett returned in the evening he learned that Raymond's day hadn't gone according to plan. His first concern upon hearing of a rabid dog was whether Hubert had been injured, when he learned that such wasn't the case he sighed with relief. He was investing too much in the boy to afford that he was hurt or even worse. He merely shrugged at the mention of Raymond's leg. Raymond had his uses but he wasn't irreplaceable. Still, it would have presented an inconvenience so he was pleased to hear that the injury was only temporary.

Once the maid had finished telling the story Garrett sat down at one of the tables in the entrance hall. The incident set his thoughts in motion. He realized that he hadn't planned sufficiently for such scenarios. At this rate Hubert would either need a bodyguard - for which Raymond seemed to do - or learn how to defend himself. The latter was a thing Garrett thought the boy ought to be taught either way, but he had seen his reluctance when he suggested the idea on the way back from Sable Izolle. He didn't want to push the boy too hard, not yet. These were still fragile beginnings and he didn't want to risk the trust he had been able to establish so far.

Garrett stirred as he picked up a motion in the corner of his vision. Something was moving on the outside, in the garden. He turned his head to see what it was. Garrett's eyes rose in puzzlement as he realized that the motion he had spotted was in fact Hubert. The boy was holding two sticks and moving them as if he was trying to strike something. After a few moves he would return to his original position and repeat the same motions. He was practicing how to fight. The sudden change of mind puzzled Garrett, but also pleased him because it meant that the issue had resolved itself. It looked like he had been right to take a gamble on the boy.


	11. Reasons to Serve

A low growl emanated from somewhere within the darkness, but its source was impossible to pinpoint. Hubert stood frozen in place. He wanted to run but was incapable of forcing his legs to move. A second growl could be heard, and soon a third and a fourth and then several more. He tried to scream but his throat would produce no sounds. Eyes gleamed in the dark and several large, black dogs lunged at him, all aiming for his throat. Hubert closed his eyes and heard the sickening sound of teeth ripping into flesh. But when he opened them to look again he was unharmed. On the ground in front of him was a bloodied mess that he only was able to identify as Raymond because of the hairstyle and the pair of broken glasses that lay next to him. He screamed without a sound.

Hubert opened his eyes and looked around. There was darkness all around him but the feeling of the cool night air told him that those images just had been a dream. Even so his heart was beating hard in his chest and he could sense beads of sweat on his forehead. It wasn't the first time he'd had that dream. The number of dogs and how they decided to attack varied, but the outcome was always the same. Hubert was sure that he would die but then Raymond stepped in and protected him. And Raymond always died.

He wasn't sure what his dream meant. Was it some part of him that wanted to hammer in the fact that he was the cause of Raymond's recent injury? Or was it trying to warn him that the outcome could become reality if he didn't learn to fight well enough? Could it even - the possibility sent shivers down Hubert's spine - be a manifestation of a wish to have someone who'd protect him even if it meant giving up their own life? He really hoped it wasn't the latter. Then again, how could he be sure? He picked up the charm from Asbel which he still kept on his bedside table. Holding it gave him a sense of safety and the worst of the feelings dissipated. He resolved to visit Raymond and check on him the next morning. Perhaps seeing him safe and recovering could put a stop to the nightmares. Besides, he owed Raymond that for protecting him.

* * *

The house of Raymond's parents was nowhere near as grand as Garrett's mansion but the standard was still well above average and the interior clearly arranged in order to flaunt their wealth. It was Hubert's first visit to the place. Up until this point there hadn't been a reason to come by, but now there existed a very definite one. Garrett had seemed puzzled when Hubert made the request but he'd gone along with it. Hubert had explained that he still felt bad about Raymond's injury and wanted to see how he was doing. What he hadn't mentioned was the voice in his mind that kept saying that it was his fault. The voice probably was right. If he had just known how to handle the dog then Raymond wouldn't have needed to step in and get hurt. He was trying to learn but the prospect of being up against an actual person and using real weapons still terrified him. Whether he'd be able to take that step still remained to be seen.

A maid walked up to him and smiled. "So you're here to visit Raymond? You're very considerate."

Hubert didn't know how to respond. He didn't agree with her statement. The injury was his fault, so how could he possibly be a considerate person? His mind raced as it tried to compute an answer but the problem at hand was too complex. In the end he just nodded, deciding that it meant that he was responding to the first question and leaving the second one unanswered.

The maid guided Hubert to Raymond's room where she announced Hubert's arrival before she left. Hubert found that he was too nervous to look at Raymond's face so he looked down instead and began to wring his hands. "H-hi," he mumbled. He didn't know what else to say. He noted that the room held a bed, table, some chairs, and a desk that had all sorts of books and papers scattered over it. There was a weapon rack in the corner and a portrait of Raymond striking a goofy pose hung on the wall. Hubert wondered to himself if Raymond had managed to stay in that pose for the entire duration of the painting - it looked like a physically demanding one.

The real Raymond was motioning for Hubert to come over to the bed where he was resting. "Come closer, I can barely hear what you're saying!"

Hubert did as told but his fidgeting intensified as he walked over. He stopped right in front of Raymond. "H-how's the wound?" He figured that he probably was supposed to ask about it, even though he'd rather have asked if Raymond was angry at him.

"I'll be fine. It takes a lot more than a confused dog to keep cousin Raymond down!" Raymond's voice was full of confidence, the complete opposite of how Hubert presently was feeling.

Hubert nodded. "Y-yeah." He still vividly remembered how bad the wound had looked initially. True, Hubert had somehow managed to heal it a little and that must have helped too. How he had done it, however, was still a complete mystery to him. He had tried to replicate the effect when he was on his own but had been unable to make even anything remotely similar happen.

Raymond leaned back and looked up at the white ceiling. "That got pretty dangerous... It's a good thing you didn't get hurt."

Hubert hung his head and his fidgeting intensified. He studied the pattern on the floor tiles, finding it preferable to looking at Raymond. The feeling of guilt stung inside him. "It's only because you protected me."

"Uncle would bite my head off if I didn't." Raymond laughed, even though his words sounded serious. "Besides, what good is a soldier if he can't take a hit?"

The statement didn't make sense to Hubert. Why would someone want to get hit? He looked up again. "Umm, wouldn't it be better to avoid being hit?"

Raymond shrugged. "Of course it's best to avoid damage. However, a soldier must also be prepared to serve as a shield for those who cannot protect themselves. Sometimes it can't be avoided."

Hubert gnawed on his bottom lip. "So... that's what you did back then? Act as my... shield?"

"Hmm," Raymond scratched his head. "Shield sounds dull when you put it like that. Make that guardian instead. Or protector."

"But did you?" Hubert didn't let up on the question. If Raymond answered yes then that would confirm that Hubert was the one at fault.

"Come on, tell me, what sounds cooler, guardian or protector? Or maybe something else? What other words could I use..." Raymond completely ignored his question and Hubert felt his frustration rise.

Hubert exhaled sharply. "Please answer my question." He could make a guess about the answer but he needed to hear it from Raymond.

"Yes, but does it matter?" It seemed that Raymond wasn't understanding the significance of the question. Hubert didn't understand how he possibly could miss it.

"Because that means it's my fault that you got hurt, and-"

"Stop it." Raymond's tone was firm. "So what, you're just a kid. No one expects you to drive off an angry dog all by yourself."

Hubert hung his head. It would have been nice if things were that simple, but that wasn't the case. "My brother could have done it."

"We went over that before. You're an Oswell now, you don't have a brother."

"He still would have done it," Hubert responded adamantly. If it was Asbel then he'd have scared the dog away before anyone could get hurt. That much was a fact.

"Hey, now I think you're overestimating him. He's just a kid too, right? I'm a trained soldier and I still got hurt! In other words, any kid would've gotten badly injured or worse." Raymond puffed out his chest. "You're lucky I was there."

"But I-"

"Besides, I also have a duty to look out for you as your cousin." He bent forward and touched his bandaged leg. "It also means that I finally got my first battle scar! I bet it's going to look wicked. But don't tell anyone that it was a dog!" Raymond wagged his finger in a threatening manner. "If anyone asks it was a terrifying monster, promise?"

"I promise," Hubert replied solemnly, even though he didn't see any point in lying about the cause. It was the least he could do to make up for the trouble. He didn't understand how Raymond could seem so oddly happy about it. Getting injured was scary and painful, so why would anyone want to carry a reminder of such an incident on their body? Actually, when Hubert thought about it there were a lot of things about Raymond which he didn't understand. "Raymond?"

"Mm?" Raymond turned to look at Hubert again.

"Why did you decide to become a soldier?"

* * *

It wasn't a question that Raymond had expected to be asked, and the intensity of Hubert's facial expression also gave him pause. Sure, Hubert was an odd kid and seemed to be take a lot of things overly seriously, but Raymond failed to understand why a scaredy-cat like him suddenly was asking about soldiering. Though it was a question with an easy answer, so he figured he'd just toss it out there and be done with the topic.

"To better serve the Oswell name, of course. A high position in the military brings with it respect and influence. Plus, girls dig the uniforms." He put on his best winning smile. The truth was that he'd still need to rise in the ranks before anyone would be impressed, but he kept telling himself that he'd be there soon enough.

"But... isn't it scary?"

"Not when you're as skilled as me," Raymond grinned. His leg still ached but he was sure that the incident had won him some favor with Garrett. The pain was a small price to pay for that. "This," he motioned to his leg, "Is just a scratch. No big deal."

"Don't you have to fight monsters sometimes?"

Raymond rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yeah, we sometimes get called on to deal with monster attacks. But they don't tend to be all that strong." He'd fought his share of monster battles. Most of them didn't pose a problem. he felt a tightness in his chest as he recalled one fight he'd rather not have experienced. There was no need to tell the boy though. Raymond forced a grin. "So yeah, it's not scary at all. But it would be scary for someone who didn't have my skills." He couldn't make it sound too easy or no one would be impressed.

Hubert looked down and fidgeted. "I went to the forest with Asbel one time. We ran into a monster and it knocked me down. I was sure that I was going to be eaten, but Asbel saved me. It was really scary." He paused and stole a glance at Raymond. "Doesn't that ever happen when you're a soldier?"

The tightness in Raymond's chest grew stronger. The scene that Hubert had described sounded far too much like one Raymond had witnessed, except that it didn't have a happy ending. He could still clearly recall her expression. And the terrible, ear-splitting scream. He tried to force his lips into a fake smile, but they refused to obey.

"Does it?" Hubert asked again when he didn't receive an answer.

"Yes it does, and it's awful," Raymond snapped suddenly. His emotions had crossed the point where he could contain them and were suddenly spilling out. "It's the worst feeling ever, and you can't do a thing! It happens so suddenly and then you just-" He was struggling to find the words now, as his mind was being flooded with terrible images. "You just-" He slumped back, a defeated expression on his face. "...you just watch. That's all you can do. And then you hate yourself."

Hubert looked down and fidgeted. Raymond turned to the window and did his best to fight off the horrible feelings. She'd looked like a rag doll, someone later had said. It was a terrifyingly apt description that still haunted Raymond.

"Why were you lying?"

"Huh?" Raymond turned back to look at Hubert, who still was looking down. "Lying about what?"

"You said that it wasn't scary." Hubert puffed his cheeks out.

In turn, Raymond gave an irritated huff. "Isn't that obvious? It's not cool to admit that you're scared. People just laugh if you tell them that."

"I... I think you're brave for doing it even though it's scary."

"I'm brave for being scared? Huh..." Raymond scratched his head. He hadn't heard that one before.

"I-I mean, um, it's scary but you still keep being a soldier..."

"Oh, like that." It was his plan for getting ahead in life, so he just dealt as best as he could. He'd attempted to dabble some in the political scene but had never seemed to get much out of it. The military had then seemed like the most realistic option, and still did. "Well, there are things I'd like to do, that's why I can't just quit. Even if it's scary sometimes."

Hubert tilted his head and wrung his hands. "Were you scared when the dog attacked you?"

"No way! You saw how easily I sent that thing packing. I'd have put it down if you hadn't been around." Just as the words had left his mouth it occurred to him that he maybe shouldn't have said that last bit. "I mean, it's hardly a sight for a kid- er, what I'm saying is- never mind!" He hit the bed sheets with both hands, in a motion that was sudden enough to make Hubert jump back. Next he pointed one finger into the air and attempted to put on a sagely expression. "It's in the past now, that thing never was a threat, and there's no way I was scared for even one second. Understand?"

"U-um..." Hubert wrung his hands more intently.

"Is that understood?" Raymond repeated and pointed straight between Hubert's eyes.

The boy squeaked and jumped back, flailing his hands. "Y-yes!"

"Good. I think that's enough serious talk for now." He glanced at the clock, which revealed the perfect excuse for sending the boy off. "Hey, it's almost dinnertime. Shouldn't you be going back?"

"H-he said that he'd come and get me," Hubert mumbled at the floor.

Raymond was sure that 'he' meant Garrett. It still reeked of ungratefulness to him, refusing to call the man 'father' or at least refer to him by his name after all he'd done for Hubert. He decided to say nothing on the matter and merely wrinkled his nose in response. "Right."

He was pondering other possible excuses when there was a knock on the door and one of the maids poked her head in, almost as if on cue. Garrett had arrived to pick up Hubert. Raymond forced a smile and waved goodbye as he internally cursed Hubert. Act as his replacement brother? As if. He'd prove his worth and be the one to replace Hubert.


	12. A Bothersome Birthday

Two weeks had passed since the dog incident and Raymond had healed to the point where he was able to walk normally again. He'd also complained that the scar was too small to be impressive and seemed to blame it on Hubert healing him too soon. Hubert reasoned that it was better to be alive with a working leg than to risk one's life for a scar that people would 'ooh' and 'aah' over, and so didn't let it bother him too much.

What did bother him, on the other hand, was that enough time had passed for his birthday to come around and that Garrett obviously was planning a celebration. Garrett had tried to be stealthy about it but Hubert had overheard snippets here and there and even caught an accidental glance at the invitations on one occasion. It wasn't the fact of being celebrated that troubled him, rather it was the scope of the celebration. All signs pointed to it being huge. And so he woke up on the big day, nervous about the events to come.

The day started off rather innocently. Garrett woke Hubert, wished him a happy birthday, and then they ate a breakfast of Hubert's choosing at the usual time. When they finished eating Garrett stood and stated that it was time to move on to the presents. The first one turned out to be a new ship model, which didn't surprise Hubert. He had deemed it highly likely, given that it was one of the things Garret knew for certain that he liked.

Next up was a pair of practice swords. Hubert wasn't sure how to feel about this gift as he didn't know what expectations it came with. Garrett hadn't pursued the matter of combat training any more after the Sable Izolle trip so Hubert wondered where the sudden idea had come from. Or had it been something Garrett had kept in the back of his mind?

"Hubert, is something the matter?"

Garrett seemed to have noticed Hubert's hesitation. Hubert shook his head.

"Of course somehing is bothering you. You wouldn't freeze up like that if it weren't the case. Is it still the idea of facing off against another person? I saw you practicing in the garden, so it is clear that you harbor some interest. Don't allow unimportant worries to stop you."

"I... I guess it's still a scary idea," Hubert mumbled. So Garrett had seen him. That explained the choice of gift.

Garrett crossed his arms and sighed. "I see. In that case I suppose we'll still hold off the training sessions for a while. Do not get the wrong impression, I do expect you to work on the matter."

"Y-yes." Hubert nodded. Garrett was probably right. He needed to get over that idea, or at least accept that it was scary and still do it anyway, like Raymond did. He needed to do that so he wouldn't be the cause of anyone else getting hurt.

"Well, I suppose we should move on to the last gift." Garrett gave a wave of his hand.

The third gift turned out to be a set of formal clothes that featured detailed embroidering in gold thread. Hubert had often heard other kids complain about formal clothing but he actually liked the feeling of the stiffer fabrics they tended to be made from.

"Well, do you like your new clothes?" Garrett smiled. "I was hoping that you might want to wear them for the day. I had them specially made."

"Can I try them right now?"

The question elicited a chuckle from Garrett. "Of course. Just don't dawdle, there are still a few things more I want done before the guests begin to arrive."

Hubert nodded and headed to his room to get changed. The clothes turned out to be a good fit, a little on the tight side but he didn't mind that, and the fabric felt nice against his skin. When he walked back into the room where Garrett and the presents were, this one clasped his hands together.

"That will be perfect for the day's celebrations. I'm glad to see that they're such a good fit."

"Y-yeah," Hubert mumbled. The mention of the party made him uneasy because he didn't know what to expect. The snippets he had overheard weren't enough to piece together a big picture of the plan, and for all he knew those details he had managed to learn of might also have been changed. "Will there be a lot of guests?"

"Oh yes, everyone of some importance in Yu Liberte will be coming, so how you conduct yourself will be important. Especially in front of the president."

Hubert felt his muscles stiffen. Even the president of Strahta was coming? That prospect did not put him at ease.

Garrett didn't seem to pick up on Hubert's unease, for a change. "He'll be bringing his family and he has a daughter who is around your age. I expect you to interact with her. This is a chance to build relations that we wouldn't want to let slip, would we?"

A tinge of panic spread within Hubert. He wasn't very good at talking to girls. Cheria was okay because she'd always been around and Asbel had been there too, but he wouldn't know how to approach a completely unfamiliar girl. Especially not under such a big amount of pressure.

"I-I... um..." When he was unable to express his distress in words Hubert waved his hands instead.

"What?" Garrett frowned. "Hubert, this is a matter of utmost importance. I've let some things slide up to this point, but I ask that you do not disappoint me now. Do you understand?"

Hubert nodded and hung his head. "Y-yes..." By now his nervousness about the party had changed to outright dread. He didn't even want to imagine the consequences of messing up.

"Furthermore, try to avoid those movements of yours while the guests are around. No holding your fists up in front of your chest when something worries you, and none of that panicked waving." Garrett huffed and mimicked Hubert's distressed motion from a moment before. "This is how ridiculous it looks to others."

Hubert felt a sting in his chest as Garrett mocked his manner of expression. Garrett had commented on it earlier, but even so it still hurt. Hubert said nothing in response and merely nodded in silence.

* * *

It wasn't long until the guests began pouring in. Garrett had given Hubert a rundown of the most important rules of Strahtan etiquette - they were ones he'd already learned but was still struggling to put into practice - and then instructed Hubert to stay at his side and politely greet every single guest. That meant not moving, save for handshakes and polite nods, and looking straight into people's eyes. Garrett had listed a welcoming smile as an additional requirement but it soon became evident that such a thing was not going to happen. Hubert already had to expend a lot of energy to keep a neutral expression and smiles were hard when nothing was making him genuinely happy. When Garrett saw the grimaces resulting from Hubert's attempts to smile he immediately told Hubert to forget it and stick with the neutral expression.

The greeting part also didn't go too smoothly. Hubert had trouble making the words come out and a lot of guests received only a partial welcome, or even a silent one. Far from completely silent, as Garrett said the most in all cases, but Hubert knew that he was failing at his task. The resulting worries about what Garrett would say after the celebration didn't exactly help to improve matters. Hubert caught himself beginning to fidget a number of times and was able to suppress the movements, though doing so left him increasingly tense. After that everyone mingled for what seemed like an eternity to Hubert. He kept on the sidelines as much as was possible when you're the main focus of the day, which wasn't much. Everyone wanted to talk to him and it was a constant stream of unfamiliar faces.

By the time everyone was in their seat and the actual celebrating was to start Hubert already felt drained. There were so many people and so many faces. He wasn't even sure which one was the president and which young girl was his daughter - he had mentally checked out during the last part of the welcome. And now he was expected to sit completely still and perfectly follow all the rules he was still learning even though his head was heavy and the thing he wanted most of all was to run away from the whole scene.

Hubert panicked. Calmly. Inwardly. He stared fixedly at a glass in front of him while Garrett began his welcoming speech. Even though the speech largely was about him he only half registered the words that were being said. At the forefront of his mind was the horrible pressure within him that only increased. Staring at the glass somehow got him through the first two dishes. Staring at the glass and secretly fidgeting under the table helped him through the next three. At that point he was desperate enough to ask Garrett a question that he wouldn't have dared utter under normal circumstances.

"I-is it possible for me to leave for a while?" It came out a whisper, so that Garrett had to lean in and wait for Hubert to repeat the question.

Once he was able to hear it, however, Garrett's eyebrows pulled up and he frowned. "Leave? This celebration is for you. And stop fidgeting. You'll only make a fool of yourself."

When Garrett said that Hubert realized that he had begun to fidget again, but this time so that people sitting next to him would be able to see. He immediately stopped, only for the pressure inside him to rise further.

"In addition," Garrett continued, "You're being far too quiet. Interact some with the guests, they did come here for your sake after all."

Hubert bit his lip. No, they came because of you. He felt his face grow hot and struggled to fight back the tears. If he couldn't get out soon, then-

That was when Raymond sauntered over to them. "Uncle? May I borrow Hubert for some time? I've prepared a special gift for Hubert, but it's not something that easily could be moved inside the manor. I would like for him to see it while we still have daylight."

Garrett looked at Hubert, then to Raymond, then back at Hubert and frowned. "If you absolutely must, I suppose I can lend him to you for a while. But don't dawdle unnecessarily."

Raymond gave a bow. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

A few moments later Hubert and Raymond were walking through a quiet street behind Garrett's manor. Raymond wasn't sure why he'd done it. Now he had the brat trailing behind him again and he was missing out on all sorts of delicious food to boot. He sighed and turned to Hubert.

"You're a nuisance, do you know that?"

Hubert looked down and fidgeted. He hadn't said a word since they left the manor. "Then why... did you help me?"

Raymond huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's obvious that you were getting stressed. I couldn't have you suddenly jumping at something like you did back when I was giving you a tour of the city. It would not be befitting of the Oswell name. That is all."

"...thank you."

"Why are you thanking me? I'm just acting in my own self-interest." At least Raymond tried to convince himself that it was the reason. Hubert was his rival after all.

"But you still helped," Hubert mumbled.

Raymond spun around and snapped at Hubert. "Argh, why do you have to be so annoyingly insistent? Listen, I'm the big cousin and there are certain expectations attached to that position. I'm merely acting according to those."

That seemed to shut Hubert up for the time being and they continued walking in silence. Raymond didn't have a particular goal in mind so they'd just wander aimlessly from one street to the other. Spurred on by the silence, Raymond's thoughts began to wander. One question in particular had been burning inside him ever since the first time he met Hubert.

He decided to ask bluntly. It was just the two of them around anyway. If Hubert complained later he could just claim that the boy had misunderstood. "Tell me, why are you so ungrateful to uncle?"

"Ungrateful?" Hubert tilted his head.

Raymond felt the anger rise within him. "Oh come on. You were adopted by one of the most influential figures in Yu Liberte - no, Strahta as a whole - and yet you just keep crying and whining about how you don't want to do this and you don't want to do that. What's your problem? Others would kill to be in the same position as you."

"Well, maybe I never wanted to be adopted," Hubert muttered looking down at the ground.

"So what? You've been given an opportunity that others only could dream about. But fine, keep whining and wishing your old family back and see how far that gets you. If there's one thing I know it's that complaining about my lot got me this far ahead in life," Raymond paused and pressed the tips of his thumb and index finger together. "Not one bit. All the progress I've made is because of hard work."

Hubert looked confused. "But... isn't your father rich too? What are you so unhappy about?"

Raymond froze. He'd nearly said too much. "I- it's just that hard work is the only thing that gets you anywhere, that's all! If someone doesn't appreciate you enough you've just got to get good enough to prove them wrong!" He crossed his arms and puffed his chest out. He couldn't help but smile, pleased by how that came out. The line sounded pretty cool, especially considering it was something he'd pulled out of thin air.

"You become good enough to prove them wrong, huh..." Hubert mumbled before he fell silent and stared off into the distance. It seemed like the boy had gone off into his own thoughts.

Raymond stared in the same direction and noticed that the color of the sky had changed. He tugged on Hubert's arm. "Come on, we should be heading back. The celebration must be nearing its end by now and uncle will surely want you present to see off the guests."

Hubert flinched at the touch but quickly composed himself. "Y-yeah."

Then they headed back to the manor. Garrett chided them for taking their time but said no more on the matter, and Hubert clumsily assisted him in sending off the guests. Raymond still felt conflicted by the time he left.


	13. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrett isn't pleased about Hubert's performance at the birthday party. Hubert doesn't have to wait long for the consequences.

Garrett was not at all pleased after Hubert's birthday party. Sure, the boy had managed, but managed was not enough for Garrett Oswell. He felt confident that he had been too lenient on the boy so far, even taking into account the need to build trust. Hubert's fumbling at the birthday celebration had been all too obvious. He hadn't yet made a critical mistake, but such an incident might not be far off.

Now, if Garrett was to avoid becoming the laughing stock of all Strahta he needed to be harsher. Given that it was Hubert's first time dealing with such a big event Garrett could cut him some slack, but he would need to see significant improvement before the next time. Garrett also decided that combat lessons would no longer be up for discussion. Hubert was to have them, simple as that. He figured that it would help with discipline. If the boy was to cry and shake at his instructor the first couple of times, then so be it. He would surely learn.

He decided to see the boy and have a stern talk. He'd let him sleep after the party because he had been so tired, but now it was the next day so there were no excuses to not address the issue. A quick knock on the door to Hubert's room elicited a squeak. Hubert was awake. That was also one thing he would have to talk about. Real Oswells didn't squeak.

* * *

Hubert was still drowsy when Garrett woke him. The previous day had been heavy on him, probably more so than he realized. If it hadn't been for the fact that Raymond had gotten him some space to breathe Hubert wasn't sure of what might have happened.

"Hubert."

The sharp voice of his adopted father had Hubert jolt upright. He jumped up, tossed on some clothes and quickly made his way over to the door.

"G-good morning," he stammered. He wasn't sure whether Garrett was going to be mad because of how the celebration had played out. He hoped that this one might recognize that he had been doing his best, though that wasn't very likely. Hubert himself knew that he had failed at a number of tasks. The fact that Garrett had given him detailed instructions beforehand didn't exactly help matters.

"At least you're awake," Garrett scoffed. "I was certain that I had given you sufficient instructions for yesterday. I expected a better performance. I also recall instructing you to talk to the president's daughter. I didn't see you two exchanging a single word."

There was little doubt about it, Garrett was mad. Hubert looked down at the floor. He wondered what sorts of consequences this would have. It was hard to tell with Garrett, sometimes he let things slide with only a small comment, other times he reacted with disproportionate irritation. The latter had happened more often recently. It was becoming somewhat of a pattern and that worried Hubert.

Garrett cleared his throat. "Additionally, you will be beginning to take fighting lessons. That is not up for discussion. You may view it as a result of yesterday's lacking performance."

Hubert felt ill. He felt like objecting but if Garrett had decided then there was really no escaping it. Still, he hadn't been expecting that Garrett would use it to punish him.

"I also expect you to see me in my study this evening. I feel that we need to practice manners more intensely. We can't afford a repeat of the previous evening. That is all, you are dismissed." Garrett turned around and left the room without looking back.

By the time Hubert made it downstairs to eat breakfast he found that Garrett had already left. That wasn't how things usually went, so Garrett had to be quite frustrated. Maybe it was because Hubert had messed things up in regard to the president's daughter? Garrett had seemed pretty set on that aspect. At the same time it was probably the hardest one for Hubert to get right. He'd never been good at talking to girls. Cheria was an exception, but Asbel was the one who had originally befriended her. Hubert had just tagged along. He still hadn't made any friends in Yu Liberte.

When the time came for Hubert's private lessons he found that Garrett had given his tutor additional instructions. There was to be a much bigger focus on form and proper posture, the man explained to him. If Hubert fidgeted too much or did something the wrong way his breaks would be cut short. The new rules were immediately put into action. To Hubert it all felt like much too sudden of a turn, and it distracted him from the usual learning. He somehow managed to make it through the day but not without considerable effort. Regulating subconsciously initiated motions took more energy than one would think. And there still was the fact that Garrett wanted to see him in this study. Surely he would also be strict about the way Hubert conducted himself there. The thought made him uneasy but he still went. It wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter.

* * *

Garrett was waiting in anticipation, sitting comfortably in his armchair. A pile of business papers sat on his desk, some he had already finished going through and some he would work on after the session with Hubert. Speaking of Hubert, the boy still hadn't arrived. Garrett half wondered if he should send a maid to fetch him but then decided against it. He wanted to see how great the delay would be. Hubert arrived a couple of minutes after the allotted time. Even so, he was late.

"I recall asking you to show up here at a specific time. It's already three minutes past," Garrett scowled.

Hubert fidgeted and looked down, but then caught himself and his hands disappeared behind his back. It was an improvement, Garrett thought to himself. Still, it wasn't like fidgeting behind his back would make Hubert look much better. It would work when he was just speaking to one person but not if he was in a crowd or a public space.

"Still those hands," Garrett ordered.

Hubert shrunk and did as ordered. His gaze, however, immediately moved down to the floor. "S-sorry," the boy mumbled.

Garrett frowned. The boy had stopped one action only for another to occur subconsciously. He still had a long way to go. "Now, let us go over proper greetings once more, shall we? And stand up straight boy."

They practiced for a while. As expected many of Hubert's words came out mumbled or too quiet, and the boy appeared to have difficulty concentrating. Garrett did not at all hesitate to let him know when that happened. As they went on Hubert's words became clearer, though they also sounded stiffer.

"That should be enough for this time. You may leave." Garrett gave a wave of his hand. He still had business matters to attend to so he couldn't practice with the boy the whole evening. Hubert's face took on an expression akin to relief, and the boy quickly left. Garrett sighed to himself. It looked like there still was a lot of work ahead of him. Occasionally he even wondered if his brother might have been right about Hubert not being up to the task. He quickly shook his head. No, he'd just gotten started with the real training. It was much too early to say, and he still was a better option than Raymond at any rate.

* * *

Hubert was feeling completely exhausted by the time he was finally allowed to leave Garrett's study. He hoped that Garrett's reactions were only a temporary result of his irritation. The fighting lessons would probably happen anyway, seeing how Garrett had brought up that topic several times prior. But there at least was the hope that he would retract the instructions he had given Hubert's tutor. As soon as he was back in his own room he began to fidget. It was as if there was a surplus of energy pent-up within him. The feeling gradually tapered off and Hubert sat down to read some books instead.

As usual this was mainly a distraction and worry kept nagging at Hubert. The more I thought he made to chase away the thoughts the more intent they seemed to be on clinging to him.

The fighting lessons started the next day. Hubert had never expected Garrett to be so quick about finding him a teacher. The man Garrett had chosen was a middle-aged soldier who had seen his share of fighting. He was large, well-trained, and more than just a bit intimidating. Hubert guessed that he probably was someone under a Garrett's command.

The lesson took place in Garrett's backyard, which offered plenty of space for that sort of thing. The man had a booming loud voice and didn't hold anything back when he was teaching. Hubert was shaking when he stood to face him, wooden sword in hand. His teacher didn't care and charged straight at him. What followed was more of a beating that an actual lesson. The only thing Hubert could do was to frantically wave the sword around and hop right and left in a desperate attempt to not get hit. Most of the time he was unsuccessful.

Hubert ended the lesson with muddy clothes, skinned knees, plenty of bruises and a cut on his arm. They'd been using wooden swords. He was scared. If this was his introduction to fighting, what was going to come next? While he was happy that the lesson was over he was already dreading the next one.

It took all of his effort not to cry during the following geography lesson with his private tutor. Again, every reaction and movement that was deemed unsuitable was pointed out and cost Hubert minutes of his break time. Once the lesson was over he staggered inside his room and fell backwards onto his bed. He still had a session with Garrett in the evening, though he'd rather not think about that at present. Instead he remained still on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. At some point he drifted off to sleep.

"Hubert, what are you doing?"

Garrett's sharp voice ripped Hubert out of his slumber. Hubert immediately jolted up and an icy realization hit him. He'd overslept and missed his planned session with Garrett.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to," Hubert muttered hastily. "I was tired and I fell asleep, so-"

"Hubert are you making excuses? I'm disappointed," Garrett frowned. "The only one to blame for this is yourself, is that clear?"

Hubert hung his head and nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Now that we got that over with let's head to my study."

What followed was another strict lesson in etiquette. Each mistake was harshly pointed out, and when Garrett pointed out one that Hubert couldn't possibly have known about because he hadn't yet been taught the rule he couldn't take it anymore. It didn't matter that he was standing right in front of Garrett, he burst into tears anyway.

"You're crying again? Haven't you learned anything?" Garrett scoffed.

Hubert's sobs didn't stop. He was too exhausted by the constant criticism and his body still hurt from the fighting lesson earlier that day. The shift was too sudden.

Garrett bent down so that he could look Hubert directly in the eye. "If I may remind you, this was the exact reason your parents had no more patience to put up with you. You ought to be grateful for my efforts to turn you into a proper young man."

Hubert attempted to look away but that resulted in Garrett raising his hand and holding Hubert's face in place.

"Don't act like I'm not here," Garrett said in a cold tone. "You don't want to cause me so much trouble that I am forced to send you away, now do you?"

"N-no," Hubert stammered. His stomach churned at the thought. Was he going to be abandoned again? He wasn't sure if he could bear it if it came to that.

"Then for the last time, stop crying and act befitting of your position. Prove to me that you're worth keeping around."

The tears stopped. It wasn't that the emotions were gone, but Hubert had run out of tears for the moment. Perhaps that was his luck. He quickly dried off his face and attempted to appear as neutral as possible. The degree of success was was unclear to him but at least Garrett seemed pleased.

"That's better." Garrett straightened himself and turned to the window. "That'll do for this time. You're dismissed. Be sure to rehearse until next time."

"Yes," Hubert said. He left the room and headed back to his own. His gut still felt like ice but he didn't appear in any immediate danger of being sent away. He felt even more exhausted now, and he was scared. If he couldn't live up to Garrett's new expectations he would be in trouble. He had to change or there wouldn't be anyone who wanted him. That thought terrified Hubert.

But it also spurned him on.

The icy feelings settled somewhere within Hubert. They didn't disappear, but rather he got used to their presence. The fighting lessons continued and his teacher continued to point out all of his etiquette related mistakes. Garrett would test him in manners almost every evening. Hubert still cried sometimes, but he was able to mostly restrict the crying to when he was alone in his room. He became better at suppressing his movements and soon found himself to be monitoring every single of his own actions. The emotions were still present, but he had succeeded in locking them up in a cage that was only growing increasingly sturdy.

He was changing. Not because he wanted to, but because he had to. And Garrett seemed to be pleased.

Hubert himself didn't know how to feel about it. The amount of criticism was steadily declining but he was beginning to feel increasingly guarded. His wonder at the water arches and lush greenery of the city had since long dried up. When something happened, negative or positive, his face would stay blank. The person he had been was hiding somewhere inside, but increasingly often Hubert felt that old self starting to slip away. He wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad thing. The caged emotions made it hard to tell.

The one thing he was sure of was that he had to excel so he wasn't tossed aside a second time. That was all that mattered now.


	14. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may seem a little abrupt, but I'm cutting the fic short here for the time being.
> 
> I'd like to give my thanks to everyone who has viewed, left kudos and commented on the fic. Thank you for your support and kind words.

Hubert only grew colder as time passed.

He went on to Strahta's military academy and soon achieved outstanding results. Garrett praised him, but the words only offered passing relief to Hubert. Once enough time had passed he would again worry that his results weren't enough for Garrett to wish to keep him around.

A fair amount of his time was spent along Raymond, though this one's mood was prone to quickly swing from neutral to singing Garrett's praises, to regarding Hubert with thinly-veiled envy. Apart from that Hubert only made passing aquaintances, unable to allow anyone close at it sometimes caused his past self to stir within and he couldn't afford for it to break through the surface.

Word of his fighting prowess spread and Hubert was even approached by the occasional admirer, though he always failed to pick up on their intent. He had status and a promising future in terms of a career in the military, but he was unable to feel happy about it.

It wasn't the life he had wished for, and part of him often resented that. But there was no way around it. He was an Oswell and that was what he'd always be.


End file.
